From 26 April to 2 May, research company iVOX has interviewed 1,000 Belgians on the country’s pet population. At the end of May, Belgian pet food industry association (BEPEFA) has now released the results of this survey.
The interviews showed that 59% own at least one pet which is a 2% increase compared to the previous year. Ordinarily, one pet-household has 3.8 pets at home. Mainly, young people (70%) and French-speaking households (65%) own a pet.
Over 33% of households own at least one cat and 30% have at least one dog which makes dogs and cats the most popular pets in Belgium. Dog ownership has even risen by 6% in the past two years, while the number of cat owner only grew by 2%. Whereas the number of rabbits increased by 1.8%, the numbers of cage birds (-0.9%) and aquarium fish (-1.3) have decreased.
The results also show that 60% of pet owners continue feeding their pet the same diet despite of inflation and price rises. 20% of pet owners think that price is the most important factor wherefore those pet owners chose a cheaper alternative.
On average, Belgian pet owners spend at most 109€ per month on their pet of which 79.40€ account for food. In comparison to 2021, pet owner prefer buying online and from vet practices. Pet stores have also become more attractive than 2 years ago. While dog owners more often choose speciality channels for shopping, cat owners often use the supermarkets.
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