Most Popular Pets by Country 2024

What Is the Most Popular Pet in the World?

It should come as no surprise that the most popular pet in the world is the dog. There is a reason why people say the dogs are a man's best friend, and there are tens of millions of them living in the United States alone. Globally, approximately one-third of all households in the world have at least one dog. It is not unusual for a household to have more than one dog living in it.

When people think about dogs, they often think about caps. It is said that someone is either a dog or a cat person, but there are plenty of homes that have both. For example, close to a quarter of all houses in the world have a cat. There are plenty of homes where dogs and cats live together in harmony.

How Many Dogs Are in the United States?

In the United States, pets are loved. There are close to 70 million dogs living in the United States. This does not necessarily mean that 70 million households own a dog, as there are plenty of households that have more than one dog. This also does not include the number of dogs currently living in shelters. Because of the large number of dogs living in the United States, a lot of pet owners have taken steps to try to “fix” their dogs to keep the population under control. That way, there aren't as many stray dogs.

How Many Dogs Live in Asian Countries?

Dogs are also popular in other parts of the world. For example, they are incredibly popular in Asian households as well. In China, there are more than 27 million households that have dogs. Now, China has a population that is five times the size of the United States. There might be more households in China that have cats, but dogs are quickly becoming more popular, particularly among members of the younger generation.

Dogs are also very popular in Japan. In Japan, there are close to 12 million households that own a dog. Even though caps are also popular in Japan, dogs are quickly on the rise. A lot of people living in Japan love to own smaller dogs that they can take shopping with them.

What Is the Most Popular Pet Outside of Dogs and Cats?

Even though dogs and cats are popular, there are plenty of households that have different pets. For example, lots of people all over the world love to own fish. Fish are very easy to take care of because they are confined to a single location. Furthermore, it is not that expensive to purchase fish food. Fish come in all shapes and sizes, but many fish live together in harmony. Some people like to own a fish to prove they can take care of a pet before they decide to get a dog or a cat. There are plenty of other households that enjoy having rabbits, snakes, and lizards.