With over 470 million dogs kept as pets worldwide, dogs came out on top as the leading type of pet in 2018. Within the same year, there were roughly 370 million pet cats in the world.

Pets in the European Union

While dogs were globally speaking the most common type of pet, cats were more common in the European Union in 2018. Roughly 75 million people within this region had a pet cat in 2018, compared to the 65 million pet dogs. That year, Germany had about nine and a half million pet dogs, making it the country with the highest number within the European Union. Other top dog-loving countries included the United Kingdom, Poland, and France.

Other pets in Germany

Besides cats and dogs, Germans had many other household pets in 2018. About five and a half million small pets, such as hamsters and rabbits, were kept by Germans that year. Additionally, about two million households in Germany owned an aquarium and roughly one and a half million households owned a garden pond.

Cats and dogs are European households’ favorite animals to keep, although more unconventional choices such as reptiles and small mammals are chosen as pets in high numbers too. In 2023, the population of pet cats in Europe was over 129 million. Germany and France were the two countries where the number of cats was the highest. What about dogs? The number of dogs in Europe was lower than the number of cats, although dogs are a constant presence for a considerable share of Europeans as well. In 2022, about one in four households in Europe owned at least one pet dog. Dog ownership per household showed a slight increase compared to previous years and the number of dogs in Europe generally increased as well. Pet care in Europe Pets are invaluable companions to us all, but also predictably tied to a valuable industry. Fressnapf, headquartered in Germany, was the leading pet care retailer in Europe based on turnover. UK-based Pets at Home ranked in second place among pet care retailers. Typically, pet care products consist of pet food as well as accessories and veterinary supplies.

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 ** 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 ** percent in 2019 down from a ** percent in 2010. This figure picked up again in 2022 to reach ** 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 *** million in 2023. The number of stray and street dogs recused on the Spanish streets saw a drop over time, falling from ******* dogs in 2013 down to *******. 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 ** percent returned to their original homes that year.

In 2024, cats and dogs remained the most popular pets among urban China residents. In that year, around ** percent of Chinese pet owners who lived in urban households owned cats or dogs. Notably, exotic pets are increasingly popular in recent years.

As of January 2023, **** were the most popular pets owned by respondents in Thailand. On the other hand, pet lovers in Thailand are increasingly interested in **********************************************

**** were the most popular pets in Japan as revealed in a survey panel by Rakuten Insight conducted between April and May 2025. The survey on pet ownership showed that dogs and cats were the most common animal companions kept in Japan, which is reflected in the dominance of dogs and cat goods within the domestic pet supplies market. Cats and dogs in Japan Even though dogs were popular for their approachability and loyalty among Japanese people, cats are closing in on the popularity of canines. As Japan is struggling to contain the number of strays in municipalities, in particular felines, picking up a lost or stray cat is a frequent reason to become a new owner. In contrast, dogs and other mammals like rodents are mostly mediated through retail channels like pet stores or breeders, requiring higher costs in the adoption process. Pet businesses The Japanese pet market offers owners a variety of establishments and pet stores to indulge their animal companions with services and goods, including wellness programs, accessories, and luxury snacks. While general food and **************** make up the top items of annual expenses spent on pet dogs, beauty expenses covering shampoo, cutting, and trimming are coming in third. Boosted by the "kawaii" (cuteness) culture in Japan, dog barbers and fashion goods for pets are not an uncommon sight in the country.

This statistic shows the average share of pet ownership worldwide as of 2023, by pet type. Across all surveyed countries, ************* are the most popular pet type around the world.

In 2023, the number of pet dogs held in Japan was estimated at around *** million. While dogs remained one of the most popular animal species held as pets, the ownership rate declined steadily in recent years. Dogs in Japanese households Dogs are high in demand as pets in Japan for their friendly and playful nature. While their function used to be practical as watchdogs or helpers on the fields, the animals are increasingly integrated into the modern household structure. Reflecting their increasing role as a family member, small dog breeds are preferred among Japanese owners, with breeders catering to the demand for small mixed breeds and designer dogs like toy poodles. With the residential real estate market facing the challenge of high demand for affordable living spaces and a lack of space in general, small breeds are a welcomed solution for households in metropolitan areas, in particular, that desire an animal companion but lack a garden or the free space to roam the neighborhood. Four-legged friends have overtaken children The pet boom at the beginning of the 20th century has been driving the growth of the pet population in Japan, with the estimated number of cats and dogs together surpassing the number of children aged 14 or below in Japan. Due to a large number of abandoned pets that are unaccounted for, municipalities are facing the challenge of containing growing stray populations. To address the issues and emphasize the responsibility of owners for their animal companions, dogs and cats that are sold from June 2022 onwards require microchipping with the owner’s information.

The pet population in China has increased steadily in the past years. In 2021, around *** million pets were held in Chinese households, ranging from mammals to reptiles. Forecasts showed that the pet population in China would exceed *** million in 2022. Cats and dogs remained the most popular pets among Chinese pet lovers. The rising pet economy in China China’s urban pet market has taken off in recent years, driven by the fast-rising rate of pet ownership and changing perceptions of the role of pets in Chinese households. For most urban pet owners, pets are no longer considered just domestic animals but indispensable family members or even their “fur babies.” The new generation of pet owners are also more generous in paying for their beloved animals. Estimates showed that Chinese pet owners would spend over ***** yuan a year on their cats or dogs. Unregulated market behind China’s pet crazes The unstoppable pet trends in China were primarily fueled by social media. With short-video platforms packed with funny puppy and kitten videos, creating an increasing number of pet influencers. However, behind the phenomenal crazes for pets, an unregulated market is cause for concern. According to a survey in 2021, ** percent of cats and ** percent of the dogs were purchased online. In May 2021, more than *** puppies and kittens were found in courier’s vehicles, dying or distressed. They were sold as “blind boxes” online by unauthorized merchants.

********* 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 2023, Brazil counted over *** million pets, of which more than ** million were dogs. The second most popular pet among Brazilians were birds, with **** million animals of this kind living in Brazilian households.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight on pets owned in January 2022 in India, dogs were the most popular pets, with a share of ** percent. Cats were the second most popular pets, with a share of ** percent.

By 2022, it was estimated that there would be *** million pets in Latin America. This represents a growth of ** percent in the pet population compared to the number in 2017, which stood at *** million pets throughout the region. In 2019, Brazil was Latin America's biggest pet market and among the largest in the world. In that year, the country's pet care industry accounted for *** percent of the global pet market.

Dog was by far the most popular pet in Mexico in 2019, according to a survey. That year, nearly ***** out of ten pet owners surveyed said that they own ***. Cats were the second most common pets in the Latin American country, with approximately ** percent of respondents who had a pet. That same year, around ********* of Mexican pet owners said that they feed their animals with both pet and human food.

This statistic shows the estimated population size of all pets in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2009 to 2018. Over the last five years the number of pets in the UK has declined. The pet population peaked in 2013 at 71 million, but as of 2018 is estimated to be around 51 million.

The most popular pet in the United Kingdom is the dog, with 26 percent of people owning one. The least popular pet type is mice with only 00.3 percent of the population owning one.

The United Kingdom is a nation of pet lovers, with 45 percent of the population owning some sort of animal. With such as high percentage of ownership, this means there is a big market for other essentials such as pet food and accessories. In 2017 dog and cat food alone had an estimated market value of 2.5 billion British pounds.

Dogs were the most popular type of pet among the approximately ****million pet-owning households in South Korea in 2023. Cats came in a distant second. There were around ********dogs registered with the authorities the previous year. Dog registrations became possible in 2008, but they became obligatory only in 2014. Pet dogs in Korea Maltese dogs were the most popular breed with Koreans, accounting for nearly a quarter of all dogs, according to a 2021 report. Poodles and Pomeranians were also popular. Generally small and cute dogs are more popular in Korea, where people often live in apartments without their own lawns or other open areas more suitable for larger breeds. It is not unusual for dog owners to not to walk their smaller dogs. Around half of the dog owners got their dogs for from friends or acquaintances. Korean pet industry The pet industry in South Korea is a growing industry, worth an estimated around *** trillion South Korean won in 2021 and expected to grow further to *** trillion won by 2027. Whilst dogs are the most popular pet, cats, fish and other pets have also stimulated industry growth. On average, around ** percent of Korean pet owners spend up over ******* won every month on pet-related costs. Accordingly, pet food imports have grown over the last decades.

As of February 2020, less than three out of ten Mexican pet owners had insurance, a chip or a tracking device for their pets, according to a survey. Meanwhile, more than 37 percent of respondents said that they didn't have any of those services, but were interested in them. The same study found that nearly 60 percent of pet owners in Mexico hired pet sitters or walkers for their animals.

The pet population in India rose to over ** million in 2021. This was a significant increase from *** million a decade ago. A significant portion of this was made up by dogs, while cats made up nearly ***** million that year.

According to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in South Korea in 2022, most people who had a pet were dog owners, with around ** percent of respondents answering to own one. Cats were also popular, with more than one in ***** respondents owning a cat.

In 2024, aquatic animals accounted for around **** percent of the total pet population in China. This indicated a slight increase from **** percent in 2023. Reptiles were the second most popular exotic pet type in China, accounting for around **** percent of the total pet population.