China is expected to have more pets than offspring, which has become a headache for Beijing

A couple, married for 7 years, Hansen and his wife Momo, look after six little ones in their apartment in downtown Beijing.

These little ones are not their biological children but six little “fur babies,” or “mao hai zi” in Chinese. The couple refers to them as “our daughters, our sons.”

“They are all part of our family. We are one big family,” said Momo, who only wanted to be referred to by her nickname to avoid any kind of trouble from authorities for stating their opinion on their lifestyle choice, as China is putting effort into enhancing the birth rate.

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China’s fast-ageing population and the decrease in the labour force after implementing the one-child policy make the country one of the most expensive places to raise a child, compared with Australia and France, according to a YuWa Population Research Institute study.

After revoking the one-child policy in 2016 and making new measures for birth policy in 2021, the authorities now want couples to produce three children. However, China’s capital Beijing hasn’t been successful in driving up the birth rate.

Many Chinese couples like Hansen, 36, and Momo, 35, prefer to be pet parents instead of having their children.

By 2023, the number of pets in urban China will equal the number of children nationwide. As per this estimate, the country’s pet ownership rate will be higher than the number of dogs and cats in rural areas.

According to the Goldman Sachs evaluation, the changing generation no longer sees marriage as the means to pass the family lineage.

“Different generations value things differently, you know,” said Hansen, who only provided his nickname.

Increasing pet economy

In the booming sales of dog and cat food, Goldman Sachs discovered the trend which has become a big concern for Chinese authorities.

The country’s population dropped in 2022, the first drop since 1961 during the famine caused by former leader Mao Zedong’s disastrous plan, the Great Leap Forward.

A year later, China was considered to be the world’s most populated country, surpassing India.

Goldman revealed that China has one of the fastest-growing pet food industries, with sales increasing by an average of 16% between 2017 and 2023, establishing a $7 billion industry.

The industry value is expected to increase up to $12 billion by 2030. From an optimistic point of view, the report added it can exceed up to a $15 billion industry in China in the next six years.

As the report suggests, the number of new births in China is expected to contract at an average annual rate of 4.2% between 2022 and 2030, due to a decline in women in the age group from 20 to 35, as well as the new generation’s changing mindset.

“We expect to see stronger momentum in pet ownership amid a relatively weaker birth rate outlook and higher incremental household pet penetration from the younger generation,” the report added.

Authorities are now promoting parenthood, from giving cash to more parental leave.

China’s population of 1.409 billion last year has been in decline for the last two years, with its birth rate being 6.39 births per 1,000 people, touching the lowest since 1949, the foundation of Communist China.

The changing perspective

Tao, a 38-year-old woman, runs a dog lodge in Beijing. In her opinion, the preference for pets means a profitable business.

In the peak holiday season in China, pet owners are eager to find someone to look after their canines, which starts in October.

“We were almost fully booked for that holiday,” she said.

Tao, who also preferred to be denoted by her nickname, has two dogs and no kids. She knew exactly what lifestyle she wanted to pursue, and that’s what she was living.

“I enjoy my lifestyle. My partner and I travel a lot. I like to go see the world. So, the idea of having kids just wasn’t attractive enough for me,” she said.

She observed that the younger generation’s perspective has changed. “I feel like people start to be more like, ‘This is what I want,’ or ‘This is what I like for my life,’ rather than like, ‘This is what society taught me to do,’ or ‘This is what my parents want me to do,’ ” Tao added.

Stuart Gietel-Basten, a professor of social science and public policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, asserted that children and pets together are not uncommon.

The young generational couple is dealing with unemployment and the expectation for women to give up their careers after giving birth.

“If you’re a 20-something in China and you feel the strong need to nurture, it is much easier to get a puppy, kitten, or rabbit than find a partner to get married and have children with,” Gietel-Basten said.

Hansen and Momo, simply enjoy the company of their fur babies.

“We’re not following any trend. We’re not affected by them. It’s just our own choice. I think it’s just that we love dogs,” Hansen said.

A couple, married for 7 years, Hansen and his wife Momo, look after six little ones in their apartment in downtown Beijing.

These little ones are not their biological children but six little “fur babies,” or “mao hai zi” in Chinese. The couple refers to them as “our daughters, our sons.”

“They are all part of our family. We are one big family,” said Momo, who only wanted to be referred to by her nickname to avoid any kind of trouble from authorities for stating their opinion on their lifestyle choice, as China is putting effort into enhancing the birth rate.

China’s fast-ageing population and the decrease in the labour force after implementing the one-child policy make the country one of the most expensive places to raise a child, compared with Australia and France, according to a YuWa Population Research Institute study.

After revoking the one-child policy in 2016 and making new measures for birth policy in 2021, the authorities now want couples to produce three children. However, China’s capital Beijing hasn’t been successful in driving up the birth rate.

Many Chinese couples like Hansen, 36, and Momo, 35, prefer to be pet parents instead of having their children.

By 2023, the number of pets in urban China will equal the number of children nationwide. As per this estimate, the country’s pet ownership rate will be higher than the number of dogs and cats in rural areas.

According to the Goldman Sachs evaluation, the changing generation no longer sees marriage as the means to pass the family lineage.

“Different generations value things differently, you know,” said Hansen, who only provided his nickname.

Increasing pet economy

In the booming sales of dog and cat food, Goldman Sachs discovered the trend which has become a big concern for Chinese authorities.

The country’s population dropped in 2022, the first drop since 1961 during the famine caused by former leader Mao Zedong’s disastrous plan, the Great Leap Forward.

A year later, China was considered to be the world’s most populated country, surpassing India.

Goldman revealed that China has one of the fastest-growing pet food industries, with sales increasing by an average of 16% between 2017 and 2023, establishing a $7 billion industry.

The industry value is expected to increase up to $12 billion by 2030. From an optimistic point of view, the report added it can exceed up to a $15 billion industry in China in the next six years.

As the report suggests, the number of new births in China is expected to contract at an average annual rate of 4.2% between 2022 and 2030, due to a decline in women in the age group from 20 to 35, as well as the new generation’s changing mindset.

“We expect to see stronger momentum in pet ownership amid a relatively weaker birth rate outlook and higher incremental household pet penetration from the younger generation,” the report added.

Authorities are now promoting parenthood, from giving cash to more parental leave.

China’s population of 1.409 billion last year has been in decline for the last two years, with its birth rate being 6.39 births per 1,000 people, touching the lowest since 1949, the foundation of Communist China.

The changing perspective

Tao, a 38-year-old woman, runs a dog lodge in Beijing. In her opinion, the preference for pets means a profitable business.

In the peak holiday season in China, pet owners are eager to find someone to look after their canines, which starts in October.

“We were almost fully booked for that holiday,” she said.

Tao, who also preferred to be denoted by her nickname, has two dogs and no kids. She knew exactly what lifestyle she wanted to pursue,that’s what she isliving.

“I enjoy my lifestyle. My partner and I travel a lot. I like to go see the world. So, the idea of having kids just wasn’t attractive enough for me,” she said.

She observed that the younger generation’s perspective has changed. “I feel like people start to be more like, ‘This is what I want,’ or ‘This is what I like for my life,’ rather than like, ‘This is what society taught me to do,’ or ‘This is what my parents want me to do,’ ” Tao added.

Stuart Gietel-Basten, a professor of social science and public policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, asserted that children and pets together are not uncommon.

The young generational couple is dealing with unemployment and the expectation for women to give up their careers after giving birth.

“If you’re a 20-something in China and you feel the strong need to nurture, it is much easier to get a puppy, kitten, or rabbit than find a partner to get married and have children with,” Gietel-Basten said.

Hansen and Momo, simply enjoy the company of their fur babies.

“We’re not following any trend. We’re not affected by them. It’s just our own choice. I think it’s just that we love dogs,” Hansen said.