The share of households owning a pet in the United Kingdom remained relatively stable between 2012 and 2018, hovering around an estimated percentage of 47 to 45 percent. However, pet ownership levels peaked to an unprecedented high of 62 percent in 2022, likely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and increased time spent at home. In 2023, this figure shrank to 57 percent.

Pet ownership in the UK With more than half of UK households owning at least one pet in 2021/22, dogs and cats were the most common household pets in that year, with an estimated 13 million dogs and 12 million cats living in homes. As of 2020, the United Kingdom was the second highest-ranking European country in terms of its dog population, preceded only by Germany.

Consumer spending on pets in the UK As the pet population in the United Kingdom increased in size, so did consumer spending on pet food and pet-related products and services. Spending on pets and related products reached almost eight billion British pounds in 2020, a notable increase from a mere 2.9 billion British pounds in 2005. Among the most expensive pet-related expenditures are veterinary and pet services, which constituted almost four billion British pounds in 2020.

An estimated 65.1 million households in the United States owned at least one dog according to a 2023/24 pet owners survey, making them the most widely owned type of pet across the U.S. at this time. Cats and freshwater fish ranked in second and third places, with around 46.5 million and 11.1 million households owning such pets, respectively.

Freshwater vs. salt water fish

Freshwater fish spend most or all their lives in fresh water. Fresh water’s main difference to salt water is the level of salinity. Freshwater fish have a range of physiological adaptations to enable them to live in such conditions. As the statistic makes clear, Americans keep a large number of freshwater aquatic species at home as pets.

American pet owners

In 2023, around 66 percent of all households in the United States owned a pet. This is a decrease from 2020, but still around a 10 percent increase from 1988. It is no surprise that as more and more households own pets, pet industry expenditure has also witnessed steady growth. Expenditure reached over 136 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, almost a sixfold increase from 1998. The majority of pet product sales are still made in brick-and-mortar stores , despite the rise and evolution of e-commerce in the United States.

This statistic shows the household penetration rates for dog-ownership in the United States from 1988 to 2016. In 2016, some 48 percent of U.S. households owned a dog, an increase from 44 percent of households in 2014.

Sixty six percent of households in the United States owned one or more pets in 2023. Household penetration rates for pet-ownership have increased by 10 percent since the beginning of the survey period in 1988.

What kinds of pets do Americans prefer?

There were estimated to be around 65 million dog-owning households in the United States according to a recent survey, making dogs the most popular kind of pets in American homes. Cats and freshwater fish ranked in second and third places, respectively. Horses and saltwater fish were the least popular types of animals to keep, with around 2.2 million households owning each type of pet.

How much do Americans spend on their pets?

Total pet industry expenditure reached around 136.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2022, an increase on the previous year. As well as regular expenses such as food and vet costs, households were estimated spend around 1.7 billion U.S. dollars on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets in 2023.

During a survey conducted in 2024, it was revealed that millennials represented the biggest share of pet owners in the United States (32 percent), followed in second place by Generation X (24 percent). Baby Boomer's came in third, representing some 24 percent of pet owners. Pet ownership in the United States Despite some fluctuations, household penetration rates for pet ownership in the United States have generally increased over the years, going from 56 percent in 1988 to approximately 66 percent in 2023. With millennials constituting the largest group of pet owners in the United States, they also constituted the generational group that planned to spend the most on their pets during the holidays in 2020, with an average spending of 51 U.S. dollars, compared to only 28 U.S. dollars of average planned spending on pets for Baby Boomers. Pet expenditure in the U.S. Pet food and treats constituted the highest selling category for pet products in the United States, with total food and treats sales reaching 58.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Vet care and product sales were the second biggest pet market category that year, generating around 35.9 billion U.S. dollars in sales. Generally, average annual pet expenditure was higher for dog owners than for cat owners across all pet market categories in 2020.

Wyoming had the highest pet ownership rate in the United States, with 72 percent of households owning a pet in 2024. West Virginia came in second place with a 71 percent pet ownership rate. In comparison, Colorado's pet ownership rate that year was 65 percent.

Hungary had the highest share of dog-owning households in the European Union, with almost half of the population owning at least one dog in 2023. Other countries, like Poland and Romania, had a little more than a third of households with at least one pet dog. Pet ownership in Europe Germany had the highest pet dog population in Europe, with more than ten million dogs in 2022. In comparison, Romania had approximately 4.2 million dogs in that same year. However, pet dog ownership was more prevalent among Romanian households, where 43 percent of households owned at least one dog in 2022, compared to only 21 percent of German households who were dog owners in that same year. In the last decade, both the number of pet cats and pet dogs increased significantly in Europe. Pet food trade Due to a growing pet population in the European continent, the pet industry flourished, and pet food trade is one indicator of that growth. The import value of cat and dog food more than tripled in the last decade, increasing from 480 million U.S. dollars in 2011 to over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. European exports of pet food followed a similar trend, reflecting a general expansion in pet food industry and trade in Europe.

Idaho had the highest dog ownership rate in the United States (U.S.), with 58 percent of households owning a dog in 2024. In Tennessee, around 47 percent of households were dog owners in that year. Dog food industry in the U.S. The sales value of dog food in the U.S. amounts to a total of approximately 10.5 billion U.S. dollars annually, excluding treats. Among the various dog food categories, dry dog food makes up the largest share of sales, with just under seven billion U.S. dollars. The leading dog biscuit, treat, and beverage vendor in the U.S. in terms of sales is Big Heart Pet Brands, which generates sales of over a billion U.S. dollars annually. The sales of Big Heart Pet Brands are more than twice as much as those of its biggest competitor, Nestlé Purina PetCare. The leading frozen and refrigerated dog food vendors in the U.S. is Freshpet. The company dominates the market by a considerable margin. Dog ownership in the U.S. Nationwide, approximately 65 million U.S. households own at least one dog. Dogs are the most widely owned type of pets among American households. Within the last 12 years, the number of dog-owning households grew by more than 40 percent. In general, there has been an increase in the household penetration rate of pet ownership in the U.S. during the last 35 years. In 2023, about two-thirds of households owned at least one pet. Since the state of Idaho has the highest percentage share of dog owners among U.S. states, it is unsurprising that its state capitol, the city of Boise, has the largest number of dog parks per 100,000 residents in the country. There are 7.5 off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents in Boise, Idaho.

This statistic shows the share of pet owners in the population of selected countries all over the world as of 2016. During the survey, 66 percent of respondents in Argentina stated they own a dog, while 32 percent said they own a cat.

In the United States, more than half of the population reported owning a pet in 2011. This number has been quite steady since then. Today there are more than 90 million cats in the United States, while the number of dogs is just below the 90 million-mark. Freshwater fish are the most common pet with almost 140 million nationwide in 2018, followed by the aforementioned cats and dogs.   Pet expenses    When it comes to expenses, fish are generally considered low maintenance compared to other pets. Dogs especially require high expense, particularly for kennel boarding while their owners are away. However, the highest costs for dog owners are due to surgical vet visits, reported at almost double the expense for cats in 2019. Lower life expectancy could be a factor - around 11 years for a medium-sized dog, compared with 12 to 15 years for cats.  
  Pet food  

Food is currently the largest expense for cat owners, and the second highest for dogs, not even including treats. Despite the convenience of buying pet food online, or while already grocery shopping in a supermarket, food store, or wholesale club, the highest share of pet food sales comes from pet specialty chains. With many owners are willing to make the extra trip for their pets, chain shops Pet Smart and PetCo make up almost half the market for pet companies in the United States.

According to a 2017 survey, Millennial males in the United States were more likely to be cat and/or dog owners than their female counterparts. Some 48 percent of male Millennial survey respondents stated that they owned a cat and 71 percent owned a dog. In comparison, 35 and 62 percent of female respondents were cat and/or dog owners, respectively.

Pet ownership rates in the United States

In 2019, 67 percent of all households in the United States owned a pet . This is over a ten percent increase from 1988. Almost 50 percent of surveyed American pet-owning households had a dog in 2017 , making it the most popular type of pet to own in the United States. Cats and freshwater fish were the second and third most popular type of pet, with a 38 and 10 percent share of the vote respectively.

Number of pets owned

Freshwater fish were the most kept pet in the United States in 2017/18 in terms of volume. In total, Americans were estimated to own approximately 139.3 million of the aquatic animals in that year. This large volume is no surprise when considering their small size and minor cost increases when owning more than one fish as a pet. Cats and dogs were the second and third most owned pets, with around 94.2 and 89.7 million living in U.S. households respectively.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected many industries in significant ways, including the pet industry. During a survey carried out in February 2022, 14 percent of respondents in the United States reported acquiring a new pet. This is an increase of four percent compared to December 2020, when 10 percent of respondents reported getting a new pet.

Pet ownership during the pandemic With nationwide lockdowns forcing people to spend most of their time confined at home, approximately 70 percent of Americans from all generations surveyed in 2020 reported spending more time with their pets as a result of social distancing regulations. Additionally, the pandemic had its impact on the economic situation of millions of people who may have struggled with precarious work or part-time employment that was discontinued due to lockdowns, which made many pet owners concerned about the affordability of pet food and products. In fact, younger generations like Gen Z and Millennials in the United States were more likely than Baby Boomers to be worried about pet expenses during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Pet industry in the United States Pet industry expenditure in the United States has witnessed remarkable growth over the years and was forecast to reach nearly 110 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, up from less than half that figure only ten years prior when it was approximately 51 billion U.S. dollars in 2011. Among the most prominent players in the U.S. pet industry are pet food companies Mars Petcare Inc. and Nestlé Purina Petcare, generating 18 billion and 14 billion U.S. dollars in revenues, respectively.

This statistic presents the estimated share of households owning at least one cat or one dog in Ireland from 2010 to 2023. As of 2023, 25 percent of households in Ireland owned a pet dog.

From 2010 to 2023, the share of Norwegian households which owned a cat remained steady at around one-third. By comparison, over this period, around 17 percent of households owned at least one dog. Cats seemed to be a very popular pet in Norway; the number increased in recent years and peaked in 2021 and 2022 at 783,000 animals.    Pet cats in Sweden In Norway’s neighboring country Sweden, the situation was similar. Since 2012, the share of households owning at least one cat remained between 16 and 21 percent, while 13 to 16 percent of Swedish households owned a dog. In this country, too, cats were more common to have as a pet than dogs. As of 2023, there were around 1.72 million pet cats registered in Sweden. Pet cats in Denmark The population of pet cats in Denmark in 2023 was estimated to be 698,000. Unlike in Norway and Sweden, the share of households owning cats as a pet in this year was much lower than households owning a pet dog. It is striking that the situation was different before. From 2016 to 2019, the share of households owning at least one dog remained stable at around 23 percent, while it was about 27 percent for pet cats.          

From 2010 to 2023, the share of cats in Swedish households was higher than the share of dogs. In 2019, 19 percent of households owned at least one cat, while there were 15 percent of dog-owning households. In 2023, the share amounted to 21 percent of cat owners as well as 15 percent of dog owners. The number of the popular pet animal cats grew in this period from 1.27 million to 1.72 million cats.    Most popular cat breeds  The Ragdoll cat breed came first in the popularity ranking measured by number of purchased animals in Sweden in 2021. In this year, nearly three thousand animals of this breed were bought. The Maine Coon ranked second with a number of around two thousand purchased cats, ahead of the Siberian Cat cat and the Norwegian Forest cat.  Pet dogs  In Sweden in 2010, there were 749 thousand pet dogs. This number increased by almost 300 thousand and, in 2022, peaked at about 1.04 million animals. As of 2019, the Labrador Retriever was the most purchased dog breed in the country, reaching over 2.9 thousand animals. It was followed by approximately 1.95 thousand purchased Golden Retriever dogs as well as German Shepherd dogs.

As of 2022, nearly every fourth household in Finland owned at least one pet dog or one cat. Compared to the year 2020, household's dog ownership in Finland remained unchanged while cat ownership slightly decreased.

Over the observed period, the share of households owning at least one cat stayed the same since 2021 - 48 percent, while the share of households owning at least one dog rose to 45 percent.

Among the wide variety of animals kept as pets, cats and dogs are the most common. In Spain, dogs seem to be the most popular pet, with 27 percent of Spanish households owing at least one canine in 2023. The share of households that owned a cat experienced an ongoing decrease over the recent years, falling to 11 percent in 2019 down from a 21 percent in 2010. This figure picked up again in 2022 to reach 17 percent.

Dogs: Spain’s favorite domestic animal

The popularity of dogs in Spain cannot be denied – the number of hounds has only increased in the last years, reaching figures of approximately 9.3 million in 2023. The number of stray and street dogs recused on the Spanish streets saw a drop over time, falling from 108,300 dogs in 2013 down to 104,700. This figure, however, increased dramatically in 2019.

The situation of pet cats in Spain

Spanish homes had around 5.8 million pet cats in 2023, which is about half the number of that of dogs the same year. The number of rescued stray or street felines was also significantly lower compared to dogs, until figures rocketed in 2019. The fate of rescued street and stray pets normally has a happy ending, with nearly half of them adopted by a new family and 18 percent returned to their original homes that year.

Are cats winning the battle against dogs? If dogs are man’s best friend, it seems that the small feline has a big space in French people’s households. In 2022, a third of households owned a cat in France, whereas 20 percent of them declared owning a pet dog.

This is a cat’s world  

Similarly, there were more cat owners in Belgium, in Denmark and Germany, than dog owners. Although this may be true, in Spain and the United Kingdom, people were more frequently dog owners than cat owners. Nonetheless, in the U.K the number of pet cats was on the rise, there were 12 million cats registered in 2021-2022.

Cat-ching!  

In the United Kingdom, the lifetime cost of keeping a cat was 12,000 British pounds, which was slightly higher than the cost of keeping a dog. On the opposite side, in the United States, annual expenses for cats were lower than expenses for dogs. Pet owners are keen to celebrate with their animals as a significant share makes the effort to purchase gifts for them on special occasions.

The dog ownership ratio among young adults aged 20 to 29 years in Japan amounted to almost 12 percent as revealed in a survey conducted in October 2023. While young adults represented the largest age group, only 8.2 percent of elderly people aged 70 to 79 years were taking care of a dog.