16 Shocking Canadian Pet Industry Statistics & Facts (2023 Update)

By Chantelle Fowler, www. hepper.com/ca/pet-industry-statistics-canada/

Canada has a booming pet industry that has been seeing a lot of growth over the past five years. This growth may be because Canadians welcomed a plethora of new pets (three million!) into their homes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. The annual cost of owning a pet in Canada in 2021 was $2,430.

2. Canadians’ pet-related spending has increased by 17.1% in three years.

3. Canadians spent $5.7 billion on their pets in 2020 alone.

4. Only 1.2% of Canadians have insurance for their pets.

5. At $743, dental cleanings account for the biggest portion of Canadian cat owners’ pet-related expenditures.

6. With 776 stores in the province, Ontario is home to the most pet and pet supply stores in Canada.

7. There are 419 animal food manufacturing establishments in Canada.

8. The market size of Canada’s pet stores in 2023 is $3.4 billion.

9. Dog food accounted for most of the pet food sales at $2.8 billion in 2020.

10. Pedigree is the largest pet food brand in the country, with retail sales of $260.8 million in 2020.

11. Canada imported over $1.3 billion of pet food in 2021.

12. Canada exported over 315 million kilograms of pet food in 2021.

13. There are 6,080 businesses in Canada in the veterinary services industry.

14. There are 4,691 businesses in Canada in the pet care industry.

15. There were 1,265 job vacancies for veterinarians across Canada in the second quarter of 2022.

16. There are approximately 15,322 veterinarians in Canada.