As pet industry spending has grown, Spam sales have grown, a correlation of 0.982 that raises the disturbing question of whether Americans are feeding Spam to their pets or whether both products simply thrive in the same economy. The pet food is premium, the Spam is classic, and the chart treats artisanal freeze-dried liver bites and shelf-stable mystery meat as equivalent consumer goods. One costs $12 per bag. The other costs $3.50 per can. Both are selling.
Pet spending grew from about 50 billion to over 136 billion dollars between 2010 and 2023. Spam sales grew from about 400 million to over 600 million. Both are consumer spending curves in a growing economy: pet spending driven by humanization and premiumization, Spam driven by inflation, pandemic pantry stocking, and its cultural resurgence in Asian-American cuisine. The shared variable is simply consumer spending growing in a growing economy.
Fourteen years of pet spending and Spam is a correlation that captures the full spectrum of American consumer culture: from premium pet food to canned meat, from organic to industrial, both growing because the economy grows all boats. The dog eats better, the human eats Spam, and the GDP counts both without judgment.
As an Amazon Associate, getspurious.com earns from qualifying purchases. Learn more.
Want to learn more about why correlations like “Spam canned meat sales” vs “US pet industry spending” don't prove causation? Read our guide to statistical thinking.
