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Dog Population

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Pet Ownership Statistics by Country 2024

When people are talking about countries owning pets, they are usually referring to dogs and cats. Across the world, dogs and cats are the most common domestic pets, so this is typically how the number of pets in given countries is quantified. Without a doubt, the United States is the top country in the world for both dogs and cats. There are approximately 70 million domestic dogs and 74 million domestic cats in the United States.

Furthermore, the United States does not hold back on its love for its canine and feline counterparts. Pet owners in the United States will get professional photos done, throw birthday parties for them, and even cordon off private living spaces for dogs and cats in their homes. More than half of families in the United States have at least one dog or one cat in their household, and some of them are allowed to wander the neighborhood.

Which Country is Second for Dogs?

Brazil has the second most dogs of any country on Earth. It has approximately 35 million domestic dogs, meaning that the South American country has about half the number of dogs within its borders as the United States. The middle class in Brazil has grown significantly during the past few years, which is probably why pet ownership has increased dramatically in Brazil during the past few decades. Because the population density is so high in Brazil, it actually has a lower number of dogs per capita when compared to other countries, but it has so many people that it still has the second most dog within its borders.

Which Country Has the Most Exotic Animals?

Again, Brazil is on this list. Brazil actually has the largest number of animal species considered pets. This is largely because Amazon is located in the Amazon basin, which creates a very special ecosystem. It is home to a wide variety of insects, birds, fish, and mammals. Therefore, Brazil actually has the biggest variety of animal species of any country on Earth.

Even though Brazil has a lot of different animals within its borders, there are a lot of stray animals that wander the streets. Many animals are abandoned when they get too old and people do not want to take care of them anymore, which creates a very sad situation.

Which Country Is Second for Cat Ownership?

The pet industry in China has exploded during the past ten years. China actually surpassed the United States for pet ownership briefly in 2019, but the United States has since far outpaced it. Of note, China has five times the population of the United States. China is second in the world in terms of the number of cats owned as pets. China has approximately 53 million pet cats within its borders, meaning that it is still significantly behind the United States, but also significantly ahead of other countries. Younger generations in China are far more open to the idea of owning pets than their ancestors.

Download Table Data

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Country
Dog Population
Cat Population
Bird Population
Aquaria Population
Small Mammal Population
Terraria Population
United States69,929,00074,059,0008,300,000
China27,400,00053,100,000
United Kingdom13,000,00012,000,0001,600,0008,000,0002,200,000
Japan12,000,0007,300,000
Philippines11,600,000
Germany10,600,00015,200,0004,900,0002,300,0004,900,0001,300,000
India10,200,000
Spain9,313,0005,859,0006,991,000691,0001,523,0001,464,000
Argentina9,200,0003,000,000
Italy8,755,00010,228,00012,882,0001,500,0001,816,0001,366,000
Poland8,019,0007,125,0001,144,000380,0001,217,000215,000
France7,600,00014,900,0005,800,0001,252,0002,800,0002,100,000
South Africa7,400,0002,000,000
Ethiopia5,000,000
Ukraine4,984,0007,630,000784,000450,000899,000903,000
Australia3,700,0002,200,0007,800,000
Portugal2,605,0001,795,000641,00083,000218,00039,000
Czech Republic2,211,0001,364,00069,00080,0005,000
Hungary2,172,0002,388,000412,00090,000398,00060,000
Belgium2,029,0002,536,000331,000320,0001,026,000160,000
Netherlands1,500,0001,900,000230,000339,000346,00059,000
Turkey1,386,0004,660,00011,291,000850,000808,000157,000
Sweden1,044,0001,703,000309,000260,000494,00060,000
Finland781,000982,00056,00040,000157,00029,000
Austria766,0000195,000310,000NaN129,000
Bulgaria750,000815,00045,00070,00060,00014,000
Greece657,000608,000974,00090,000417,0006,000
Denmark617,000669,000202,000280,000373,000110,000
Switzerland554,0001,793,000304,000380,000655,00027,000
Lithuania550,000605,000
Norway494,000783,000195,000125,000169,00094,000
Slovenia295,000455,00040,00035,00085,0003,500
Latvia270,000410,000
Estonia235,000290,000
Brazil191,001,000
Russia23,150,0003,280,0003,750,0006,601,0001,076,000
Romania4,371,000292,000150,00093,00032,000
Slovakia540,00032,00051,00046,0004,000
Ireland355,00092,00027,000162,00020,000
showing: 39 rows

Which country has the highest rate of pet ownership?

When it comes to cats and dogs, the United States is the country with the largest number of domestic pets. However, Brazil is the country with the largest variety of exotic pets.

Frequently Asked Questions

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