Global and Regional Pet Ownership Trends: Dogs and Cats Continue to Lead

Globally, dogs and cats remain the two most important pet categories. HealthforAnimals estimates that the worldwide pet population has already exceeded 1 billion, while NIQ data across 18 markets shows that 56.1% of households own at least one pet. By household ownership, dogs lead at around 33.2%, followed by cats at 27.3%. This confirms that dogs and cats continue to shape the core direction of the global pet market.

In North America, the U.S. market remains strongly dog-led, with 53% of households owning dogs and 39% owning cats. In Europe, cats account for the largest share of the pet population at about 36.3%, ahead of dogs at 29.7%, while birds, fish and small mammals also maintain meaningful demand. In South America, using Brazil as a representative market, dogs account for 38.9% of the pet population, followed by birds at 28.2%, cats at 17.4%, and ornamental fish at 13.7%.

Australia shows a similar pattern to North America, with dogs remaining the most common pet at close to 50% of households, followed by cats at 34%. In Asia, cross-market survey data shows dogs at around 32%, cats at 26%, and fish at 15%, although in some markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia, cat ownership has already moved ahead of dogs.

Overall, dogs and cats remain the core growth engine of the global pet industry, while birds, fish and small pets continue to create stable regional niche opportunities.