South America Pet Insurance Market Outlook, 2027

Pet insurance is an insurance policy bought by a pet owner which helps to lessen the overall costs of expensive veterinary bills, with coverage similar to health insurance policies for humans. Pet insurance will cover, either entirely or in part, the often expensive veterinary procedures. Increase in the number of veterinary centres, rising medical expenses in veterinary medicine, significant surge in the demand for pet policies, and growth in need for financial safety in cases of uncertainties are expected to drive the growth of the South America pet insurance market. On the other hand, extortionate cost of pet insurance policies is expected to hinder the growth to some extent. However, increase in government initiatives regarding pet insurance policies are expected to create ample opportunities for the industry.

The report titled, South America Pet Insurance Market Outlook, 2027, categorizes the market to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following segments: based animal type (Cat, Dog & others), by insurance type (Accidental and Illness & Accident only endorsement) by end-user (Agency, Broker, Bancassurance, Direct writing) based on countries & major companies. The pet insurance market in South America shows positive signs of growth; however, it is still weak in terms of global market share. The market in the year 2016 was at merely USD 0.21 Billion, valuing a single-digit share in the global market. About 20% of the population still resides in rural areas and this leads to an information barrier as the rural population is neither aware nor able to afford pet insurance. With pet health care costs continuing to increase, it’s critical for owners to have a reliable financial plan in place to pay for unexpected medical procedures. However, the region is expected to grow over a market of 12% in the coming period. Increasing concerns of pet owners regarding their health, rising instances of accidents, and heightened exposure of pets to the risk of diseases are the factors driving the pet insurance industry in South America. This allowed the accident & illness insurance type segment to grow to a market share of 95% in 2020. The main reason restraining the growth is the lack of awareness regarding policies and adoption of street dogs as pets which don’t provide people with a sense of ownership as in the case of legal adoption or purchase of the pets. Snake bites and other such accidents are a common occurrence in the region. This has driven pet owners to opt for the relatively cheaper and necessary option of the insurance policy. While the accident-only segment is barely making any contribution in the market, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 27% in the forecasted period. In addition, surge in popularity of pet humanization concept is increasing the demand for pet grooming and care products. Owners, especially millennial, are willing to spend more on their animals to ensure a healthy and secure life.

By animal type, the region has a high preference for dogs, while cats are to have a potential market growth. Urbanization in the region has encouraged people to shift their preferences to cats; however, the trend hasn’t been that effective as South America’s cities have struggled to absorb new arrivals from the countryside. However, the other segment which includes fish, birds among many more are expected to grow over a CAGR of 40% in the forecasted period. As urbanization continues and disposable income rises, more consumers are turning towards pet companionship. As South American people shifted from pet ownership to pet parenthood, opportunities in every pet care segment have increased for any company that wants to capitalize on it. The agency end-user segment accounted for almost half of the market share in 2020. The rise of e-commerce and other technologies have pushed the market on the path of growth. As the ownership of pets is increasing, the segments associated with pet care are also rising, with people are becoming aware of pet health and well-being.

Argentina has the highest pet ownership rates in South America, a whopping 80% of the residents polled reported as pet owners. Brazil comes in at a close second with 75%. Eight out of ten households in Paraguay have at least one pet, while in Peru nearly seven out of ten households have a domesticated animal. Private players tend to supply insurance policies with maximum coverage plans and minimum premium offers. Leading insurance agencies permits various novel pet schemes to retain consumers, which will further foster the market growth in the region.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic positively impacted the pet insurance market as it significantly propelled the pet adoption rates and pet ownership statistics, considerably increasing the demand for veterinary services. The COVID-19 pandemic created several challenges for the pet insurance industry including animal health companies, veterinary hospitals, veterinarians as well as pet owners. Various government and local regulatory bodies imposed strict lockdown and restricted the movement of the people and goods owing to the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases across the globe.

The imposed lockdown majorly affected the operations and supply chain of the companies operating in the pet care industry and hampered the supply of pet care products. However, a significant upshift was observed in the pet adoption as people were isolated due to the lockdowns, with their social lives largely disrupted. Hence, this led to an increasing demand for pet insurance schemes and services to provide optimum care services for pets at a nominal cost.

Major Companies Present in the market

Nationwide Mutual insurance company, PetFirst pet insurance, Pet Plan limited, Trupanion, RSA Groups, Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co.Ltd.

Considered In the Report

• Geography: South America
• Base year: 2021
• Historical year: 2016
• Forecasted year: 2027

Countries Covered

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia

Aspects covered in the report

• Market Size by Value for the period (2016-2026F)
• Market Share by Animal Type (Cat, Dog & others)
• Market Share by Insurance Type (Accidental and Illness & Accident only endorsement)
• Market Share by End User (Agency, Broker, Bancassurance, Direct writing)
• Market Share by Region
• Market Share by Country
• Market Share by Company

Intended Audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the Finance & Insurance Service industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.