South Korean pets left alone almost 6 hours a day, study reveals

According to the 2025 Korea Pet Report by the KB Financial Research Institute, approximately 80% of pet owners in South Korea leave their pets at home alone at least once a day for an average of 5 hours and 54 minutes.

The nationwide report was based on a survey of 2,000 pet owners aged 20 to 69 years old. 

As of the end of 2024, 29.9%, or 15.46 million, South Koreans owned at least 1 pet. A total of 5.91 million households had pets, representing a 1.1% increase compared to the previous year. 

Of these households, approximately 4.55 million owned a dog and 1.37 million owned a cat. These figures reflect an increase of 40,000 dogs and 20,000 cats from 2023.

Expenditure 

The report also showed that a single household spent an average of ₩194,000 ($143/€123.34) per month on their pets, excluding veterinary costs. This marked a 26% increase from ₩154,000 ($110.20/€95.05) at the end of 2023.

Pet food accounted for 35.1% of monthly spending, while snacks and supplements made up 22.5% of the total.

Additionally, 70.2% of households with pets reported paying veterinary bills within the past 2 years. The average cost reached ₩1.02 million ($751/€648.73), nearly double the ₩577,000 ($425/€366.54) recorded in 2023.

Despite rising costs, only 12.8% of pet owners have applied for pet insurance. Many cited the lack of standardized pricing among veterinarians as a key reason for the low adoption rate.

Travelling less 

In contrast, according to a national survey commissioned by pet-sitting platform TrustedHousesitters, in the United States, 56% of pet owners report that they travel less after acquiring a pet.

The survey, which included 5,000 U.S. pet owners, found that 61% worry more about their pets’ well-being than their own enjoyment while on vacation. Approximately 49% say they experience separation anxiety when away.

More than half (52%) of respondents note that their pets’ sad expressions when they pack have made them feel too guilty to leave. Meanwhile, 33% say they spend a significant portion of their vacation on their phones checking in on their pets or video-calling their sitters. 

In addition, 54% say their travel is affected by worrying that their pet thinks they have been abandoned.