Pet owners in South Korea are bracing for higher "petflation" this year that would put a dent in their daily budgets for basic pet commodities.
News of higher prices for pet-related products and services came from the Ministry of Data and Statistics, which pointed to a continuation of the petflation recorded in 2025, during which prices of pet products increased by 2.9% and pet care services charged at least 2.5% more. Overall, South Korea saw a 16.6% petflation rate last year, surpassing five-year-old industry figures.
The ministry warned that petflation is expected to worsen this year as prices of pet food, veterinary care and common pet products and services continue to rise. Major players like Monge and Purina have confirmed they are raising their prices as early as February to manage their own operational cost pressures.
Petflation is a major issue for the estimated 15 million South Koreans who currently own pets. The KB Financial Group Research Institute, which produced the 2025 Korea Pet Report, said that on average, a cat or dog sets its owner back 194,000 Korean won (KRW) each month. This represents a 26% increase since 2023, and most of it goes to food and pet care — veterinary expenses excluded.
The government is responding to pet owners' petflation woes by exploring measures to ease fees at public veterinary centers. As medical costs nearly doubled to 1.02 million KRW over two years, the government moved to exempt 112 commonly performed veterinary services from value-added tax at government-designated public and cooperative animal hospitals. More veterinary services may be added to the program this year, the ministry said.
