According to the 2024 pet population report from the Belgian Association of Pet Food Manufacturers (BEPEFA), price is the most important factor when owners are making a decision on which pet food to purchase.
The survey, conducted by iVOX in April 2024, noted the top three considerations in purchasing decisions included price (49%), food tailored to the pet's life stage (45%) and food that their pets find tasty (40%).
The survey noted that 58% of Belgian households have one or more pets, a 6% increase compared to 2021. There is an average of three pets in each household this year, similar to 2021, when the average number of pets was 3.1 per household.
BEPEFA's report noted 17% of Belgians welcomed a new pet in the past year. Companionship was noted as the main reason for the addition for 55% of the respondents. For 31% of those households, this was their first pet.
Pet parents aged between 35 and 54 represent 69% of the total pet-owning population in Belgium, followed by those under 34 (66%) and those above 55 (56%). One in 8 working pet owners (12%) can bring their pet to work, and 9% of dog and cat owners bring their pets to work some or all of the time.
