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China may have more pets than children under 4 by year end – Report
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By Francesca Hangeior.
China’s urban pet population is set to surpass the number of children under four by year end, according to reports by CNN and Goldman Sachs.
The reports, released on Thursday, noted that China’s population is ageing rapidly and its workforce is shrinking, following decades of a one-child policy.
A study by the YuWa Population Research Institute found that China is one of the most expensive countries to raise a child, surpassing Australia and France in relative terms.
China’s government, which ended the one-child policy in 2016 and later relaxed birth restrictions in 2021 to allow three children, is now struggling to boost birth rates, having previously been successful in limiting them.
Couples interviewed for the study like Hansen, 36, and Momo, 35, are opting out of having children and instead choosing to become pet owners, a trend increasingly common among Chinese couples.
Owner Tao hangs out with dogs at Space, a dog hotel in Beijing. Photo: Justin Robertson/CNN
A Goldman Sachs report predicts that by year’s end, the number of pets in China’s urban areas will exceed the number of children under the age of four, driven by growing demand for pet food.
Goldman Sachs projects that by 2030, urban China’s pet population will nearly double the number of children under four nationwide.
This estimate only accounts for urban areas, and the total number of pets would be even higher if rural areas were included.
According to Goldman Sachs, the rising pet ownership in China reflects a shift in values among younger generations, who no longer prioritise marriage and childbearing as a means of continuing family lineage.
“Different generations value things differently, you know,” said Hansen.
Goldman Sachs reports that China’s pet food sector is booming, with sales growing 16% annually from 2017 to 2023, reaching $7 billion.
The industry is projected to expand to $12 billion by 2030, with a potential upside of $15 billion in just six years, making it one of the fastest-growing consumer sectors in the country.
The report highlights that the pet industry’s surge in China marks a stark contrast to just 20 years ago, when keeping pets was seen as a luxury of the wealthy and mixed-breed dogs were primarily valued as guard animals.
China’s birth rate is also expected to decline by 4.2% annually from 2022 to 2030, driven by a shrinking population of women aged 20-35 and a growing trend among young people to delay or forgo having children.
“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 stated.
Rising costs and economic uncertainty are deterring many Chinese couples from having children.
“The world’s second-biggest economy is facing headwinds ranging from high youth unemployment to a protracted property crisis,” CNN noted.
China’s government has shifted its approach, replacing restrictive population control measures like forced abortions and sterilisations with enticing incentives, such as cash rewards and extended parental leave, to encourage people to have children.
China’s population has dropped for two consecutive years, hitting 1.409 billion, with a record-low birth rate of 6.39 per 1,000 people, the lowest rate since the founding of Communist China in 1949.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, has slashed its fuel pump price for the second time within four days.
A market survey on Saturday by DAILY POST showed that NNPCL retail outlets around Airport Junction and Wuse Zone 6 (Berger) in Abuja have reduced their petrol price to N1210 per litre, down from N1260.
This means that the state-owned oil firm slashed the petrol price by N50 per litre.
This comes barely two days after Dangote Refinery reduced its petrol gantry price by N50 to N1,125 per litre.
Recall that four days ago, NNPCL had adjusted its fuel price pump by N75 per litre to N1260.
With the latest drop by NNPCL retail outlets, petrol prices stand between N1210 per litre and N1305 per litre in Abuja and its environs.
The reduction in domestic fuel comes amid falling crude oil prices, which stand at $69 per barrel and $71 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude, respectively, following the easing of the conflict in the Middle East.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu has kept mum amid the clamour by Nigerians for a commensurate drop in domestic fuel pump prices due to the significant reduction in crude oil prices.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said it is yet to receive the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the Federal High Court judgment that set aside an earlier order directing it to register the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, as a political party.
INEC revealed this in a statement issued on Saturday by its Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, Adedayo Oketola.
According to the commission, although it is aware of media reports on the judgment delivered by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja on June 26, it cannot comment on the ruling until it obtains and reviews the certified copy.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is aware of reports circulating in the media regarding the judgment delivered on Friday, June 26, 2026, by the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, which set aside an earlier order concerning the registration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
“However, as of this moment, the Commission has not yet received the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the court’s order,” the statement said.
INEC stated that its legal department would study the judgment upon receipt of the CTC before advising the commission on the next course of action.
“Once the Commission’s legal department receives and thoroughly studies the CTC of the judgment, INEC will take an informed, lawful decision in line with the court’s directives.
“Until then, we cannot comment on the specifics of the ruling, and the public is urged to await the Commission’s formal position on the matter,” Oketola added.
Justice Isah Dashen of the Federal High Court in Lokoja had on Friday set aside the court’s December 10, 2025, judgment directing INEC to register the NDC as a political party.
The court held that the rights of the Peace Movement Party were affected by the earlier judgment because it was not joined in the suit despite claiming ownership of the logo relied upon in securing the registration order.
Justice Dashen consequently ordered that all parties be restored to the positions they occupied before the December 2025 judgment and directed that the substantive suit be heard afresh with all necessary parties joined.
The NDC has rejected the ruling and announced plans to appeal the decision. Its National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, maintained that the party had not been deregistered and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revisit a matter on which it had already delivered a final judgment.
The ruling has also attracted reactions from opposition figures, including the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, and other stakeholders, who described the decision as a threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and vowed to challenge it through all available legal channels.
INEC, however, maintained that it would reserve its position on the judgment until it receives and reviews the Certified True Copy.
A joint police operation rescued five victims abducted near Ogbere Forest in Ogun state on Wednesday.
They were rescued within 25 hours by the Lagos and Ogun Police Commands, which were part of a joint operation codenamed KOSAYE, meaning “No Space” in Yoruba.
The woman was among the victims who were shot in the incident. Her daughter and sister were among those rescued by the police on Thursday.
NNPC slashes petrol price twice within four days
Lokoja Court order: INEC speaks on NDC, says it’s yet to receive CTC
Just in: Police rescue five abductees in Ogun
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