Americans Spend $61 Billion on Pets Annually

A new report shows that Americans spend more on their pets than they do on alcohol, land-lines


By Danielle Kurtzleben
May 22, 2013

Americans cut back in some types of disposable spending during the nation's financial crisis, but spending on Fido held steady and is picking up again.
Americans cut back in some types of disposable spending during the nation's financial crisis, but spending on Fido held steady and is picking up again.


It turns out even the deepest recession in decades can't kill off pet spending. A new report from the Labor Department shows that while Americans cut back in some types of disposable spending during the nation's financial crisis, spending on pets held steady and has begun to pick up again.


[RELATED: The 10 Cities With the Highest Pet Spending]

The report shows that Americans spent over $61 billion on their pets in 2011, with the average household spending just over $500 on their pets during the year. That's more than the average household spent on alcohol, men's clothing, or landline telephones. The data show that pet spending hit a peak in 2008, at $571 per household, then dropped off sharply, eventually hitting $480 in 2010. However, spending on Fluffy and Spot as a share of households' total spending picked up slightly during the recession, from 0.9 percent in 2007 to 1.1 percent during the heart of the downturn in 2008 and 2009.

The Labor Department data show that Americans remained selflessly devoted to their pets during the recession, holding their spending on pet food steady through the downturn while cutting back on the luxury of eating out.



A major economic downturn may not dramatically cut pet spending, but having kids does. Single people spent over $400 on average on their pets in 2011, while single-parent households spent two-thirds that. Likewise, husbands and wives with no children at home spent the most on their pets, at nearly $700, while those with the youngest children spent less than 60 percent of that, at just over $400.



The data may also signal fatter times ahead for America's pets. Americans age 55 to 64 spent the most on their pets of any age group, at $636 per year, in 2011. In addition, homeowners spent $653 on average, compared to renters, at $221. With baby boomers entering retirement and a housing recovery in place, that may mean the population willing to spend big on their animals is about to grow.

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