One in three Italians lives with a pet — but keeping one keeps getting more expensive

For World Animal Day, la Repubblica revisited Eurispes data on Italians and their pets. What struck me most was the contrast: the affection is growing, and so is the bill.

In 2026, roughly one in three Italians lives with at least one animal. Dogs are back ahead of cats (41% vs. 37.1%), after the two were tied in 2025. What has really changed, though, is spending. In 2015 almost half spent less than 30 euros a month. Today that group is down to 16%, most people spend between 31 and 100 euros, and over a quarter spend more than 100. More than half spend over 50 euros on food alone.

There's a positive side too, in my view: the way people adopt is changing. In 2017 pet shops were the channel people mentioned most. Today almost 40% of animals come from the street or from a shelter. 23% of people who already have a pet haven't taken in another one because of the cost, and 11.4% of those without a pet have had to give up on getting one altogether.

Reading it, I thought of my friends who talk about pet insurance, about leaving an inheritance to their dog, about low-cost public vet care. Loving an animal shouldn't become a privilege. The numbers show the bond is stronger than ever, and that we need policies that lower the cost of care, not just good intentions.

Source: la Repubblica