Maybe people do really view their pets as their babies. South Korea is seeing more strollers being sold for pets than for babies, a shift that coincides with the country’s declining number of births.
South Korea’s largest online marketplace reported that sales of pet strollers exceeded those of baby strollers for the first time in 2023. According to Gmarket, during the first three quarters of the year, strollers for pets accounted for 57 percent, while those for babies were only 43 percent.
This number has only increased over the last several years as pet carriages made up 33 percent of total sales in 2021 and 36 percent in 2022. Baby carriages had the larger share in both years with 67 percent in 2021 and 64 percent in 2022.
The trend has shifted as the birth rate has also decreased. According to Statistics Korea, the total fertility rate, representing the average number of births per woman throughout her childbearing years, dropped from 1.48 in 2000 and 1.23 in 2010 to 0.84 in 2020 and 0.78 in 2022. The total is expected to drop to 0.68 over the next year.
Other underlying causes are also attributed to the increase in pet strollers. South Korea is witnessing a growing trend of families choosing to adopt and spend money on pets, meaning even families with children could choose to have a stroller for their furry friend.
Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231225000083