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How Falling Birth Rates Reshape the Pet Insurance Industry
Description
As birth rates decline across developed economies, households are spending more on their pets than ever before. This episode of The Demographics Podcast looks at the surge in pet insurance — a market that has grown at a compound annual growth rate of over 15 percent since 2020. Lucas and Luna explore how the shift from raising children to raising pets is reshaping underwriting models, veterinary costs, and the insurance product itself. They examine data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association showing that over 5 million pets were insured in 2025, up from 3 million just three years prior. The hosts also discuss how insurers like Trupanion and Nationwide are adjusting premiums as veterinary bills rise faster than human healthcare inflation. Finally, they question whether the pet insurance boom is sustainable or a demographic bubble waiting to deflate when the pet population ages.