Pets over kids: How people in China are redefining the definition of family
Aradhana Jha | TimesPets Bureau | Feb 06, 2026, 12:58 IST
How people in China are redefining the definition of family (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
China’s population is in a state of decline, but one of the first places you notice this is not in maternity wards, but in pet shops, dog groomers, and veterinary clinics. This is because, in major Chinese cities, young adults increasingly prefer pets over kids, a move that mirrors economic and social trends.
China’s population is in a state of decline, but one of the first places you notice this is not in maternity wards, but in pet shops, dog groomers, and veterinary clinics. This is because, in major Chinese cities, young adults increasingly prefer pets over kids, a move that mirrors economic and social trends.
However, it’s an intentional decision for many in their 20s and 30s. Increasing cost of living, job insecurity, and a highly competitive culture have made parenting overwhelming for many individuals. Compared to that, pets provide the benefits of company and emotional fulfillment, but they do not require the long-term commitment and responsibility that raising a child does.
As reported in NBC news, Gan Yixuan, who owns a pet grooming shop in Beijing, said many of her customers are child-free. She shared, “There are couples raising a dog instead, really treating it like their child,” she said. I’ve asked them, and they do want children, but they are facing a lot of pressure in this society. They also don’t have enough time for kids.”
According to Goldman Sachs, China already has more pets than children aged four and below, and projections suggest the gap will widen further.
In cities such as Beijing, you regularly hear young people discussing the inevitability or advisability of not marrying. As societal values associated with families are constantly shifting, services associated with pets are increasingly filling the emotional holes created by not having children. It is said to be relaxing to care for pets, but impossible to raise a child in the current environment.
This phenomenon is very worrying, especially for Chinese officials who are facing an increasingly deteriorating demographic imbalance. According to government statistics, the country’s population continues to decline for the fourth year consecutively, which is a cause for concern for Chinese officials. A decade and a half since China ended its long-running one-child policy, birth rates remain on an downward trend and are not recovering.
The government liberalized the policy to allow two, and then extended it to three, in the year 2021, hoping that the populace would seize the opportunity. Instead, births have halved in the country in the past ten years, and China is no longer the most populous country, having lost the top position to India in the year 2023, and the overall population continues to decline.
The rate of marriages, traditionally associated with childbearing in Chinese culture, is also decreasing rapidly. The past year witnessed the biggest decline in the number of marriages, as young people in the society show reluctance towards conventional family setups.
In reaction, the government has instigated various pronatalist measures. For instance, the government is offering tax breaks, as well as childcare benefits to families that bear young children, and extending maternal leave policies in certain areas. Symbolic measures have also been put in place, including an increase in the taxes placed on contraceptives.
Yet these measures have done little to alter attitudes. For young people, parenthood represents a costly investment with a doubtful rate of return. Fears regarding the interruption of careers, particularly among women, continue to be a significant disincentive. Furthermore, the high levels of youth unemployment, coupled with the fear of age discrimination and the educational competition, also appear to act as disincentives.
However, aside from individual personal finances, there is also apprehension in relation to the future that young adults in the next generational cohort have ahead of them. There is a concern among prospective parents in terms of the pressure that children will experience in schools and workplaces, as well as whether they are in a place to offer a sense of stability in an increasingly uncertain world.
This is because the notion of the family in contemporary China is being reshaped as the country seeks to modernise. At the same time that the government is encouraging citizens to procreate in order to stabilise the population, young people are quietly opting for a different lifestyle where they derive happiness through companionship and having pets instead of children.
Celebrate the bond with your pets, explore Health & Nutrition, discover Breeds, master Training Tips, Behavior Decoder, and set out on exciting Travel Tails with Times Pets!
However, it’s an intentional decision for many in their 20s and 30s. Increasing cost of living, job insecurity, and a highly competitive culture have made parenting overwhelming for many individuals. Compared to that, pets provide the benefits of company and emotional fulfillment, but they do not require the long-term commitment and responsibility that raising a child does.
As reported in NBC news, Gan Yixuan, who owns a pet grooming shop in Beijing, said many of her customers are child-free. She shared, “There are couples raising a dog instead, really treating it like their child,” she said. I’ve asked them, and they do want children, but they are facing a lot of pressure in this society. They also don’t have enough time for kids.”
According to Goldman Sachs, China already has more pets than children aged four and below, and projections suggest the gap will widen further.
Why people in China are choosing kids over pets?
In cities such as Beijing, you regularly hear young people discussing the inevitability or advisability of not marrying. As societal values associated with families are constantly shifting, services associated with pets are increasingly filling the emotional holes created by not having children. It is said to be relaxing to care for pets, but impossible to raise a child in the current environment.
This phenomenon is very worrying, especially for Chinese officials who are facing an increasingly deteriorating demographic imbalance. According to government statistics, the country’s population continues to decline for the fourth year consecutively, which is a cause for concern for Chinese officials. A decade and a half since China ended its long-running one-child policy, birth rates remain on an downward trend and are not recovering.
The government liberalized the policy to allow two, and then extended it to three, in the year 2021, hoping that the populace would seize the opportunity. Instead, births have halved in the country in the past ten years, and China is no longer the most populous country, having lost the top position to India in the year 2023, and the overall population continues to decline.
The rate of marriages, traditionally associated with childbearing in Chinese culture, is also decreasing rapidly. The past year witnessed the biggest decline in the number of marriages, as young people in the society show reluctance towards conventional family setups.
In reaction, the government has instigated various pronatalist measures. For instance, the government is offering tax breaks, as well as childcare benefits to families that bear young children, and extending maternal leave policies in certain areas. Symbolic measures have also been put in place, including an increase in the taxes placed on contraceptives.
Yet these measures have done little to alter attitudes. For young people, parenthood represents a costly investment with a doubtful rate of return. Fears regarding the interruption of careers, particularly among women, continue to be a significant disincentive. Furthermore, the high levels of youth unemployment, coupled with the fear of age discrimination and the educational competition, also appear to act as disincentives.
However, aside from individual personal finances, there is also apprehension in relation to the future that young adults in the next generational cohort have ahead of them. There is a concern among prospective parents in terms of the pressure that children will experience in schools and workplaces, as well as whether they are in a place to offer a sense of stability in an increasingly uncertain world.
This is because the notion of the family in contemporary China is being reshaped as the country seeks to modernise. At the same time that the government is encouraging citizens to procreate in order to stabilise the population, young people are quietly opting for a different lifestyle where they derive happiness through companionship and having pets instead of children.
Celebrate the bond with your pets, explore Health & Nutrition, discover Breeds, master Training Tips, Behavior Decoder, and set out on exciting Travel Tails with Times Pets!
