Set for growth

Despite ongoing trade wars with the US, the industry continues to demonstrate positive dynamics, mainly due to strong consumer demand and high volumes. The industry's importance is also reflected in the fact that the pet food segment currently accounts for around 50% of China's entire pet goods industry.

Although the Chinese pet food sector started developing relatively late compared to Western countries, it has grown rapidly and undergone a significant transformation from small companies to large, diversified holdings. Currently, the Chinese pet industry is showing many new trends, such as focusing on producing branded pet food, using a clustering model of development and expanding into foreign markets.

According to the recent report China's Pet Food Industry, prepared by the local research agency Jia Shi Consulting, the sector has generally been developing actively since 2020, with annual growth rates of 12–14%. Growth is ongoing to this day. The market has transitioned from high-speed growth to a focus on quality development.

According to statistics from the Pet Nutrition Team of the Feed Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, there were 140 million pet dogs and cats in China in 2024, and the total size of the pet industry exceeded 300 billion yuan (€36.5 billion), with pet food accounting for the largest share (approximately €18 bn). Pet food for dogs and cats accounts for around 30% of the market. Industry growth is ongoing this year, with estimated rates of 10–12%.

The national output of pet food reached 1.6 mio tonnes in 2024, marking a 66.7% increase compared to five years prior and maintaining double-digit growth for several consecutive years, according to data from the China Feed Industry Association. In the first seven months of 2025, output reached 1.006 million tonnes, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.5%.

‘The pet food industry has experienced continuous growth in recent years,’ said Wang Zongli, president of the China Feed Industry Association. The major growth drivers of the market are the generally stable economic environment in China, the rising per capita income of the local population and recent socio-cultural changes, whereby pets are increasingly seen as family members.

Currently, the industry is moving towards maturity and diversification. While traditional dry food still…