The US average accident-and-illness pet insurance premium for dogs rose from $640.04 a year in 2022 to $675.61 in 2023 to $749.29 in 2024, while the cat average stayed in a narrow $383 to $387 band across the same three years [NAPHIA State of the Industry, Average Premiums, 2024] [NAPHIA: Pet Health Insurance Industry Continued Exceptional Growth Rate In 2023, 2024-04]. That is the whole series in one sentence: dog premiums climbed about 17% over two years, cat premiums effectively did not move. This page lays out the year-by-year numbers so a renewing buyer can tell whether a rate increase is in line with the market or ahead of it.
What the data shows
NAPHIA's State of the Industry report is the authoritative US series because it is estimated to represent roughly 99% of written pet health insurance premium in the US and Canada, so it is the closest thing to a census rather than a sample [NAPHIA: North American Pet Health Insurance Industry Market Reaches $5.2B in Written Premium, 2025-04]. The US accident-and-illness annual averages it reports:
- Dogs: $640.04 in 2022, $675.61 in 2023, $749.29 in 2024
- Cats: $387.01 in 2022, $383.30 in 2023, $386.47 in 2024
Those figures come from the 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions of the report respectively, each covering the prior year-end [NAPHIA: North American Pet Insurance Industry Surpasses $3.5 Billion, 2023-05] [NAPHIA State of the Industry, Average Premiums, 2024]. The accident-only tier, a thinner product that excludes illness, ran far lower and is tracked separately: $193.29 a year for dogs and $110.03 for cats in 2024. The accident-and-illness line is the one most buyers purchase and the one this page follows.
A monthly view makes the renewal-shock concrete. The dog accident-and-illness average was $53.34 a month in 2022, $56.30 in 2023, and $62.44 in 2024 [NAPHIA State of the Industry, Average Premiums, 2024]. A dog owner who enrolled at the 2022 average and held the policy saw the market reference point rise about $9 a month over two years, before any age-based increase specific to their own pet on top of the market move.
How premiums changed over time
The two animals tell different stories, and the divergence is the most useful finding in the series. The dog line stepped up every year: a 5.6% rise from 2022 to 2023, then a 10.9% rise from 2023 to 2024, an accelerating curve, not a steady drift. The cat line moved less than 1% in either direction across all three years and ended 2024 below its 2022 figure [NAPHIA State of the Industry, Average Premiums, 2024].
Dog, annual: $640.04 (2022), $675.61 (2023, +5.6% YoY), $749.29 (2024, +10.9% YoY). Two-year cumulative rise: about 17%, roughly 8% compounded per year [NAPHIA State of the Industry, Average Premiums, 2024].
Cat, annual: $387.01 (2022), $383.30 (2023, minus 1.0% YoY), $386.47 (2024, plus 0.8% YoY). Net two-year change: roughly flat, ending slightly below the 2022 level [NAPHIA: Pet Health Insurance Industry Continued Exceptional Growth Rate In 2023, 2024-04].
The likely reason for the split, on the cited cost evidence, is claim mix. The high-cost orthopedic and large-breed claim categories that move a book's average sit overwhelmingly on the dog side: a single cruciate-ligament repair averages $3,525 and reaches $6,417 by region [CareCredit: How Much Does CCL (ACL) Surgery for Dogs Cost?, 2025]. A dog book carries more exposure to those large claims, so it reprices harder when procedure costs rise, while the cat book, with a different and on-average lower claim profile, did not need to move. The mechanism behind the rise is unpacked on why pet insurance premiums rise.
One limitation of the series matters for using it. These are North-America-wide averages across every breed, age, state, deductible, and reimbursement level mixed together, so the absolute dollar figure is a market reference point, not a quote. An individual policy for a young mixed-breed dog at an 80% reimbursement and a $500 deductible can sit well below $749, and a senior large-breed at 90% with a low deductible well above it. The series is most useful for the rate of change, which applies broadly, rather than the level, which does not apply to any specific pet.
What it means for you
For a renewing buyer, the series is a benchmark to hold your increase against. If you own a dog and your renewal rose roughly 8% to 11%, that is in line with the 2023-to-2024 market move and is not by itself evidence your carrier is an outlier. An increase materially above that, on a pet that has not aged into a new band or filed claims, is worth questioning, because the market reference did not rise that fast. If you own a cat and your premium rose meaningfully, the flat three-year cat series says the broad market did not move, so a large cat increase is more likely carrier-specific or pet-specific than a market trend.
For a first-time buyer, the trajectory argues against treating the published average as a stable target. The 2024 dog figure is already more than a year old and the line has only gone up, so quote it as a floor for a dog and budget above it; the flat cat line makes the cat figure a more reliable planning anchor. Either way the average does not decide the purchase, because it averages over the deductible and cap structure that determines whether a policy pays out. The term-by-term framework for reading that structure is in the guides hub. For the forward read, see pet insurance cost trends in 2026; the full tracking desk is at /news/ and the review method is at /methodology/. FurVerdict is an independent editorial site and is not a licensed insurance agent; verify current terms with the provider before purchasing.