A new industry report reveals stable figures for 2024, with fish leading the way and homemade food making modest gains among dog and cat owners.
A new report by FACCO, France’s federation of #petfood manufacturers, found that 61% of French households owned a pet in 2024, with more than half (53%) reporting ownership of at least 1 dog or cat.
France’s pet population reached 75.1 million in 2024, unchanged from 2023. Compared to 2022, however, this marks an increase of 1.1 million. Since 1976, the pet population in France has more than doubled.
Following the trend of previous years, fish remained the most popular pet in 2024, with a population of 33.7 million – a significant increase from 29.8 million in 2023 and 29.1 million in 2022.
Cats reached 16.7 million, compared to 9.7 million dogs. In 2024, the number of cats grew by 100,000, while the dog population increased by 200,000 nationwide.
The number of small mammals rose sharply, from 3.7 million in 2023 to 4.7 million in 2024. Meanwhile, the bird population remained stable at 3.6 million.
Pet food insights
According to the FACCO data, the average annual food budget for pets in France stood at €490 ($567) for dogs and €324 ($375) for cats in 2024.
Commercial #petfood remained the primary diet for pets, with 85% of dog owners and 95% of cat owners opting for it.
Dry food was the most popular format for both species, with 86% of cat owners and 81% of dog owners feeding it to their pets. Nearly half of French cat owners (47%) and 33% of dog owners give their #petstreats.
The share of #petowners feeding homemade food remains at 7% for cats and 16% for dogs, marking a 1% increase for both compared to the previous FACCO report released in 2024.
Supermarkets and grocery stores remain the most popular purchasing channels in 2024, used by 69% of cat owners and 50% of dog owners, although #petstores and online platforms have experienced notable growth.