Horse Population by Country 2024

If you’re a horse lover or owner, then the country you live in may play a role in how much you can take part in this love and the hobbies that come with it. Horse ownership varies tremendously from country to country, with the United States, Mexico, and Brazil regularly leading the charge. Here’s a closer look at which countries have the most horses per capita, and how they enjoy these animals.

The Western Hemisphere Dominates the Top Three Spots

The United States has had the most horse ownership among the world's populations consistently. In both 2020 and 2021, the United States had a horse population of over 10.6 million animals, which was 18% of the world’s population of animals. In the U.S., horse owners use their animals for pleasure riding, showing, and racing primarily, though there are some populations that still use horses for working fields or transportation. Horses are still commonly used in ranch work in the U.S. in mountainous areas where motor vehicles have a hard time reaching stock.

Mexico came in second with over 6 million horses in both years. These are often used in agriculture in rural areas, but they are also used for transportation and recreation. The same is true in Brazil, which had over 5.7 million horses in 2021 and 5.9 million in 2020.

Mongolian, China, and Kazakhstan Are the Leading Asian Countries

While Asian countries have far fewer horses than the Western Hemisphere, three countries stand out with over 3 million horses each. Mongolia, where horses are a rich part of the nation’s history, had the most, with a horse population of 4.3 million in 2021. China came second, with 3.7 million, followed by Kazakhstan with over 3.4 million.

In 2023, these numbers and values are likely to be similar, as they have stayed fairly steady year-over-year. The United States will likely continue to lead the way in horse population and ownership.