Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-11-28 Origin: Site
Over the past decade, China's pet supplement market (defined as dietary supplements, excluding dewormers and prescription diets) has experienced remarkable expansion. Data from First Capital Securities shows its market size soared from RMB 410 million in 2013 to RMB 1.7 billion in 2024, representing a staggering CAGR of approximately 14%—far outpacing many traditional industries.
Capital markets have been quick to recognize this potential. As of early August 2025, there were 14 financing deals in the pet industry, with 6 in healthcare, maintaining its status as the top-funded segment. In contrast, pet tech, pet food, and pet services saw 3, 2, and 3 deals respectively.
Rigid Demand on the Consumer Side
The most definitive driver on the demand side is the pet aging wave. China's pet market saw two adoption booms in 2015–2016 and 2021. Using a rough age conversion ratio of 1:7 (pet years to human years), these cohorts will enter their middle-to-senior years (equivalent to 35–70 human years) around 2025–2027. This stage witnesses a surge in chronic conditions such as joint, cardiac, and renal issues, leading to exponential growth in healthcare costs. As a result, pet owners' demand for preventive and corrective supplements has shifted from discretionary to rigid spending.
Data from the China Pet Industry Research Institute indicates that dogs over 7 years old account for about 23% of the total dog population, while cats over 7 make up roughly 12%. This is well below the 40–50% seen in mature markets like the U.S. and Japan, signaling that China's senior pet market is still in its infancy. By 2027, the industry is expected to enter an accelerated growth phase, with explosive demand for supplements fueled by pet aging.
Agile Response on the Supply Side
Regulatory barriers for pet supplements are relatively low. Classified as pre-mixed pet feed additives, they fall under regulations such as the Measures for the Administration of Pet Feeds. Compared to the complex registration and filing system for human health supplements, pet supplements benefit from shorter review cycles and simplified testing requirements, facilitating the rapid entry of new brands and products and boosting market dynamism.
The industrial chain is also maturing rapidly. On one hand, CDMO firms with strong R&D and manufacturing capabilities in human health supplements are expanding into the pet sector, leveraging their expertise in raw materials, formulations, and processes to elevate product quality and supply efficiency. On the other hand, domestic OEM capacity for pet feed is growing quickly, supporting the aggressive expansion of brands.
In the short to medium term, strong willingness to pay among pet owners and the aging trend in the "cat economy" will create a powerful demand surge. Coupled with the entry of human health CDMOs and expanded compliant production capacity on the supply side, the market will see rapid volume growth.
In the long run, the industry's ceiling remains far from being reached. Currently, supplements account for approximately 34% of pet owners' total pet health spending in China, which is still notably lower than in mature markets. As the spending ratio between staple food and supplements converges with that of developed nations, the share of supplement spending will continue to rise. The industry will evolve from fragmentation to consolidation, shifting from volume-driven growth to simultaneous volume and price increases, ultimately entering a prolonged period of stable, high-growth development.
