Pet Insurance Statistics 2026: Premiums, Claims and Coverage Data
This page collects the pet insurance numbers that matter in one place, each with its source and year: how many pets are insured, what owners actually pay, what insurers pay back in claims, and how prices vary by breed, age and state in PetCostHub’s own dataset. The headline figures: 7.6 million pets were insured in North America in 2025, US premiums totalled $5.2 billion, yet only about 4.27% of US pets have cover. All industry figures are from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) State of the Industry reports unless stated.
Market Size and Coverage
| Statistic | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Pets insured, North America | 7.6 million | 2025 |
| Pets insured, United States | 6,405,541 | 2024 |
| US gross written premium | $5.2 billion (up 20.8% year on year) | 2025 |
| US gross written premium | $4.74 billion | 2024 |
| Claims paid to US policyholders | About $3.1 billion | 2024 |
| Share of US pets insured | 4.27% | 2025 |
| Share of US dogs insured | 5.99% | 2025 |
| Share of US cats insured | 2.29% | 2025 |
| Insured pets that are dogs vs cats | 75.6% dogs, 23.5% cats | 2024 |
| US households owning a pet | 94 million (APPA) | 2024 |
Two readings of this table matter. First, growth is real and sustained: premium volume rose by about a fifth in a single year, and the US pet count passed 6.4 million in 2024 on its way to a 7.6 million North American total in 2025. Second, penetration is still tiny: roughly 19 of every 20 US pets are uninsured, and cats are insured at barely a third of the dog rate, which is why cat premiums and cat products lag the dog market in sophistication. Insured pets concentrate geographically: in 2024, California held 18.3% of US insured pets, New York 7.2%, Florida 6.3% and Texas 5.5%.
Average Premiums Actually Paid (NAPHIA)
| Plan type | Dogs, per year | Dogs, per month | Cats, per year | Cats, per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident and illness | $836 | $69.67 | $435 | $36.25 |
| Accident only | $190 | $15.83 | $112 | $9.33 |
| With embedded wellness | $1,414 | $117.83 | $859 | $71.58 |
These are averages of premiums actually paid across all policyholders in 2025, which is why they sit above the quote medians shoppers see: Insurify’s median accident and illness quotes, the basis of our state dataset, were $43 a month for dogs and $23 for cats. Paid averages include older pets, richer settings and expensive states; quotes describe a new policy at chosen settings. Both are true; they answer different questions, and our cost hub reconciles them for planning. Premiums are also rising at double-digit rates: the dog accident and illness average rose about 11.5% between the 2024 and 2025 data years, and cats about 12.6%.
What PetCostHub’s Own Dataset Shows
| Dataset statistic | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median adult premium, dogs (40 breeds) | $52.00/mo |
| Median adult premium, cats (15 breeds) | $33.50/mo |
| Most expensive dog breed (adult median) | Bulldog, $92.00/mo |
| Cheapest dog breed (adult median) | Chihuahua, $34.50/mo |
| Senior vs adult premium, dogs | About 1.9x ($98.80 vs $52.00 median) |
| Senior vs adult premium, cats | About 2.05x ($68.67 vs $33.50 median) |
| Cheapest state multiplier | Arkansas, 0.65x national |
| Most expensive state multiplier | Alaska, 1.32x national |
| Breed and state combinations published | 200 detailed pages from 55 breeds x 51 states of modelled data |
The dataset’s most quotable finding is the state spread: identical pets differ in price by a factor of two between the cheapest and most expensive states, a wider gap than the difference between insuring a Beagle and a Boxer puppy. The second is the age cliff: premiums roughly double between the adult and senior bands for both species, which is the statistical backbone of the advice to insure young, developed in our timing guide. The full method, sources and update cadence are published on our methodology page, and journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these tables with a link.
How to Cite This Page
Every table above is free to reproduce with attribution to PetCostHub and a link to this page. Industry figures should be cited to NAPHIA’s State of the Industry reports as the primary source, with PetCostHub as the compiler; dataset figures are PetCostHub modelled estimates and should be described as such. We update this page when NAPHIA publishes new annual data and when our own dataset refreshes, and the figures carry their data year in every table so that citations age honestly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pets are insured in the United States?
6,405,541 pets were insured in the US at the end of 2024 according to NAPHIA, and the North American total reached 7.6 million in 2025 as the market grew about 9% by pet count in the US. That still represents only about 4.27% of US pets.
How fast is pet insurance growing?
US gross written premium grew 20.8% in 2025 to $5.2 billion, following a 21.4% rise in 2024. Premium growth is outpacing pet-count growth, which means a large share of the expansion is price: average premiums rose at double-digit rates as veterinary costs climbed.
What percentage of dogs and cats are insured?
In 2025, 5.99% of US dogs and 2.29% of US cats held insurance, per NAPHIA. Dogs also dominate the insured population, at 75.6% of insured pets versus 23.5% cats in 2024. For contrast, Sweden insures the large majority of its dogs, which is why US penetration is usually described as early-stage.
What is the average claim environment behind these prices?
NAPHIA reports about $3.1 billion in claims paid to US policyholders in 2024, against $4.74 billion of premium, a paid-claims ratio near 65 cents per premium dollar before expenses. On the ground, that money concentrates in emergencies and chronic care, the cost structures detailed in our vet costs hub and chronic condition cost guide.
All figures are estimates or published statistics for planning and comparison only, not insurance quotes, offers, or guarantees of any premium. Industry figures are NAPHIA State of the Industry data as cited; dataset figures are PetCostHub modelled estimates. See our methodology page for how we build these numbers.
