How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost? NAPHIA Average Premiums 2021–2025 and a Calculator
Pet insurance prices vary widely by species, breed, age, location, and plan design. The most reliable public benchmark is the annual report from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), a trade group whose members report premium and policy counts. Its State of the Industry 2026 report puts the average U.S. accident-and-illness premium in 2025 at $836 a year for dogs (about $70 a month) and $435 a year for cats (about $36 a month). These are industry-wide averages, not quotes. This page does not publish a rate table by breed and age, because no neutral public source breaks premiums down that way. The only reliable number for your pet is a quote.
Average Annual Premium, United States (USD)
| Plan and species | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accident + illness, dog | 625 | 640 | 675 | 749 | 836 | +11.5% |
| Accident + illness, cat | 370 | 387 | 383 | 386 | 435 | +12.6% |
| Accident only, dog | 192 | 201 | 204 | 193 | 190 | −1.6% |
| Accident only, cat | 121 | 122 | 116 | 110 | 112 | +1.4% |
| With built-in wellness, dog | 1,051 | 1,134 | 1,263 | 1,321 | 1,414 | +7.0% |
| With built-in wellness, cat | 559 | 614 | 626 | 651 | 859 | +31.9% |
Source: NAPHIA, State of the Industry 2026 (highlights PDF), published June 2026.
What the Numbers Show
- Calculated from the table above, the average accident-and-illness premium for dogs rose from $625 in 2021 to $836 in 2025, about 34%. For cats it rose from $370 to $435, about 18%.
- Accident-only premiums were roughly flat over the period, which fits with accident-only plans covering a narrower set of events.
- For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported veterinary services prices up 4.6% over the 12 months to September 2026 (see why vet bills are rising). The two measures cover different things, so the gap should not be read as one causing the other.
Premium Calculator
Pick a species and plan type to see the 2025 national average, what it adds up to over several years, and how a vet bill you are worried about compares with it.
Uses the 2025 U.S. industry-wide average annual premiums published by NAPHIA. It is an average, not a quote, and it does not estimate what any policy would reimburse. The multi-year total assumes the premium never changes, but NAPHIA reports average premiums rose every year recently, so real totals are likely higher.
How Big the Market Is
| Measure (U.S., 2025) | Value |
|---|---|
| Share of pets insured | 4.27% overall; 5.99% of dogs; 2.29% of cats |
| Insured pets | About 5.23 million dogs and 1.75 million cats |
| Gross written premium | About $5.7 billion |
| Growth in insured pets | +9.0% (down from 22.1% in 2021–22) |
Source: NAPHIA State of the Industry 2026. Penetration uses 163.6 million U.S. pets, based on the AVMA’s 2025 survey.
What Moves a Premium
- Species and breed: insurers price from claims history, so breeds with common hereditary conditions generally cost more to insure.
- Age: premiums typically rise as a pet ages, and enrolling young avoids conditions being classed as pre-existing.
- Location: local veterinary prices feed into premiums.
- Deductible and reimbursement rate: a higher deductible or a lower reimbursement percentage lowers the premium but shifts more of each bill to you.
- Annual payout limit: a lower cap reduces the premium but can leave a gap during a major illness.
- Plan type: accident-only plans cost less than accident-and-illness plans because they cover fewer events.
How to Compare Quotes
Treat the averages as a sanity check, not a prediction. A quote far above the average often reflects a large breed, an older pet, a high-cost area, or generous limits; a quote far below may reflect a high deductible, a low reimbursement rate, or a capped annual limit. Request quotes from several insurers for the same pet with the same deductible, reimbursement rate, and annual limit so the plans are comparable. Check what the policy excludes, how long the waiting periods are, and whether the insurer can raise your rate at renewal. Read the sample policy, not just the marketing page. See Choosing a Pet Insurance Policy for what to compare.
This is general information, not insurance, financial, or veterinary advice. Figures are as published by NAPHIA in June 2026 and are updated by NAPHIA annually.
