********* percent of households in the United States owned one or more pets in 2023/2024. Household penetration rates for pet-ownership have increased by ** percent since the beginning of the survey period in 1988. What kinds of pets do Americans prefer? There were estimated to be around ** 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 *** million households owning each type of pet. How much do Americans spend on their pets? Total pet industry expenditure reached around ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, an increase from the previous year. As well as regular expenses such as food and vet costs, households were estimated to spend around *** billion U.S. dollars on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets in 2023.

In a survey conducted about domestic pet ownership in 2022, dogs and cats were the most popular domestic pets for Australians, with around ** percent of people owning dogs and around ** percent owning cats. Approximately ** percent of those surveyed owned fish.

As of 2023, an estimated *** million European households owned at least one pet. During the past two decades, the number of pet-owning households has increased by nearly double. Pets in the European Union The most popular pets in the European Union (EU) are cats. There are approximately ****** more cats than dogs in the EU. Besides cats and dogs, other popular pets are ornamental birds, such as canaries, parakeets, parrots, and small mammals, like mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, or rabbits. The number of cats in Europe has steadily increased during the last decade. In 2010, there were about ****** cats in Europe. By 2021, this figure had reached over *******. A similar trend has been observed in the number of dogs in Europe. Cats in the European Union While cats are popular companions for households in many EU countries, Germany and France have the highest numbers of cats among EU countries by a considerable margin. However, these countries are also the most populous in the EU. Taking a look at the share of households who own at least one cat in the EU shows that the share of cat lovers in Romania is the highest. Almost half of Romanian households own a cat. The share of cat-owning households seems to be comparatively high in many eastern European countries.

An estimated ** million households in the United States owned at least one dog according to a 2024/25 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 ** million and ** 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 ** percent of all households in the United States owned a pet. This is a decrease from 2020, but still around a ** 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 *** 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.

According to a 2024 survey, dogs were the most commonly owned pet in UK households. The share of households reporting dog ownership stood at 36 percent. The second most common house pet among UK households were cats, with around 26 percent of respondents stating their ownership. Pet ownership in the UK In the past year, pet ownership levels in the UK decreased by five percent when compared to 2022. This decrease could be explained by the change in owner's routines since pandemic restrictions have lifted. The share of UK households owning a dog or cat also decreased in comparison to previous years. Happiness, companionship, and man’s best friend A 2020 survey asked dog owners to state their reasons for owning a dog and all linked their ownership to either improving their happiness and/or providing companionship. Happiness was the most common response, with 51 percent stating ‘because they make me happy’. Whereas 47 percent stated their dogs provided ‘love/affection’ and 35 percent stated their dogs provided ‘companionship’. It seems the old saying “man’s best friend” still holds true to this day.

***** and ***** are the top two answers among Canadian consumers in our survey on the subject of "Household pets".The survey was conducted online among 12,946 respondents in Canada, in 2025. Looking to gain valuable insights about pet owners worldwide? Check out our reports about pet owners across the globe. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding into pet owners, highlighting their demographics, preferences, opinions, and ways to engage with them effectively.

***** and ***** are the top two answers among U.S. consumers in our survey on the subject of "Household pets".The survey was conducted online among 67,079 respondents in the United States, in 2025. Looking to gain valuable insights about pet owners worldwide? Check out our reports about pet owners across the globe. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding into pet owners, highlighting their demographics, preferences, opinions, and ways to engage with them effectively.

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 2024, this figure shrank to 60 percent. Pet ownership in the UK With more than half of UK households owning at least one pet in 2024, dogs and cats were the most common household pets in that year, with an estimated 13.5 million dogs and 12.5 million cats living in homes. As of 2023, the United Kingdom was the highest-ranking European country in terms of its dog population, followed 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 11.3 billion British pounds in 2023, 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 7.2 billion British pounds in 2023.

In 2024, around ** percent of households owning pets in Germany consisted of three people and more. Figures were mostly unchanged during the timeline at hand.

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

***** and ***** are the top two answers among Swedish consumers in our survey on the subject of "Household pets".The survey was conducted online among 10,092 respondents in Sweden, in 2025. Looking to gain valuable insights about pet owners worldwide? Check out our reports about pet owners across the globe. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding into pet owners, highlighting their demographics, preferences, opinions, and ways to engage with them effectively.

Idaho had the highest dog ownership rate in the United States (U.S.), with ** percent of households owning a dog in 2025. In Tennessee, around ** 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 **** 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 ***** 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 * 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 ** million U.S. households own at least one dog. Dogs are the most widely owned type of pet among American households. Within the last 12 years, the number of dog-owning households grew by more than ** 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 ********** 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 capital, the city of Boise, has the largest number of dog parks per 100,000 residents in the country. There are *** off-leash dog parks per 100,000 residents in Boise, Idaho.

During a survey conducted in 2024, it was revealed that millennials represented the biggest share of pet owners in the United States (** percent), followed in second place by Generation X (** percent). Baby Boomer's came in third, representing some ** 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 ** percent in 1988 to approximately ** 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 ** U.S. dollars, compared to only ** 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 **** billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Vet care and product sales were the second biggest pet market category that year, generating around **** 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.

***** and ***** are the top two answers among UK consumers in our survey on the subject of "Household pets".The survey was conducted online among 26,710 respondents in the UK, in 2025. Looking to gain valuable insights about pet owners worldwide? Check out our reports about pet owners across the globe. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding into pet owners, highlighting their demographics, preferences, opinions, and ways to engage with them effectively.

The number of households with pet dogs and cats in India accounted for approximately 23 million and 1.7 million respectively in 2023. The increase in the number of households getting pets had led to an increase in value of pet food sales to about 629 million U.S. dollars in 2023, up from 172 million U.S. dollars in 2016.

In 2022, ** percent of Italian households owned at least one dog. In that year, the share of households owning at least one cat was ** percent. When compared to the European average, dog ownership in Italy is slighlty higher than the rest of the continent. On the other hand, the estimated share of European households owning a cat was ** percent in 2022, five percent higher than Italy. Pet dogs in Europe In 2023 the dog population in Italy amounted to approximately *** million (excluding strays), making it the one of the largest in the European Union. Germany ranked highest with a dog population of approximately **** million, followed then by Spain. While the number of pet dogs in Italy has remained stable between 2014 and 2019 it then increased steadily in the following three years, also increasing overall in Europe at an estimate of more than *** million in 2022. Pet cats in Europe When considering cats, Italy was home to approximately **** million cats (excluding strays) in 2022, the third largest population in the Europe Union after Germany, and France. As for dogs, the cat population in Italy also remained stable since 2014 with an increase in the last years. Again, as for dogs, the cat population increased steadily in Europe, reaching more than *** million in 2022, which means there is approximately one cat for every five individuals on the continent.

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.

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.

This statistic shows a ranking of the leading pets owned by households in the United Kingdom (UK) between 2016 and 2019, broken down by region. In London, 14 percent of people were cat owners, while 9 percent owned a dog, making this the only region were cats were more popular than dogs.

In total, 45 percent of the UK population own a pet . This figure has increased by five percent since 2016. Over 90 percent of pet owners in the UK say that owning a pet makes them feel happy and 88 percent feel that pet ownership improves their overall quality of life.

With such as high ownership of pets in the United Kingdom, this leads the path for retailers in a growing and dynamic market. Pet food has a key role to play, with dog and cat food alone estimated at 2.5 billion British pounds in 2017.

Since 2012, the share of households in Turkey with at least one dog or cat has fluctuated. According to the most recent report published by the European Pet Food Industry, as of 2023, **** percent of Turkish households have at least one pet dog. This share is higher for those who cohabit with cats, at about ** percent. Nevertheless, compared to other countries in the European Union, this is quite a low ratio. Cats and dogs inside and outside Turkish households This is not to say that Turkish households are not friendly with pets, though. In 2023, the estimated number of pet cats and dogs in Turkish households was over ***********, yet Turkey is known for its streets accommodating many stray cats (and dogs), loved and looked after by residents, established as a familiar presence in citizens’ everyday lives. Pet food and pet animal stores in Turkey In Turkey, there are almost ** thousand retail stores where pet animals and pet food are available for purchase. These stores also include and specialize in the sales of flowers, plants, seeds, and fertilizers.