Dog and cat food will be 16.9 percent more expensive in 2023 than in the previous year
Wiesbaden. Dogs are one of the most popular pets in this country – and the love for four-legged friends also fills the state coffers. As the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced on the occasion of World Dog Day on October 10th, public coffers received around 421 million euros from dog taxes in 2023 – a new record. For cities and municipalities, this meant an increase of 1.6 percent compared to the previous year. In 2022, revenue from the dog tax amounted to 414 million euros.
Revenue from dog tax has increased consistently in recent years. In a ten-year comparison, this was even 41 percent higher: in 2013, the dog tax brought in 299 million euros for cities and municipalities.
The dog tax is a municipal tax. The amount and structure of the tax statute is determined by the respective municipality. In many places, the amount that dog owners have to pay also depends on the number of dogs in the household or the dog breed. In this respect, higher tax revenues do not necessarily mean that the number of these four-legged pets has also increased.
Dog and cat food 2023
16.9 percent more expensive than in the previous year
Keeping a four-legged friend is also a cost factor beyond tax payments. The prices for dog and cat food rose significantly by 16.9 percent on average in 2023 compared to the previous year. For comparison: overall inflation was 5.9 percent in the same period.
Graphic: © Federal Statistical Office (Destatis)