Attachment M(e) Pet Spending Summary

Average Annual Expenditures Per Household

From 2013 to 2016,
spending on pets stayed
relatively constant, within a
narrow range of 0.9 to 1.0
percent of total spending.
Even during the recent
recession (2007-2009),
families continued to spend
consistently on their pets.

Americans spend a
substantial amount of
money on the care and
feeding of their animals.
Average household
spending on pets was $583
in 2016. This was more than
the average amount spent
on reading, fresh fruit,
alcohol, or footwear.

Pet Spending as Percentage of
Household Budget
1.1%
1.0%
0.9%

1.0%
0.9%

0.9%

0.9%

2013

2014

2015

0.8%
2016

Sources: 2016 Consumer Expenditure Survey. Steve Henderson, “Spending on pets: “Tails” from the Consumer Expenditure Survey,” Beyond the Numbers: Prices & Spending, vol. 2, no. 16 (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013), https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume-2/spending-on-pets.htm

U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics

bls.gov