Pet Ownership Statistics by Country 2026

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 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.