While we love our pets, there are still millions of them that don’t have a home, end up in a shelter, or worst, killed or euthanized. Discover pet statistics from America and around the world, ranging from things like pet population, pet insurance, pet ownership, pet shelters, most popular pets, and even pet adoption.
Top Pet Statistics In America & The World:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
World Cat & Dog Population
Pet Ownership Stats In America
U.S. Animal Shelter Statistics
Stray Dog & Cat Stats In The U.S.
Pet Insurance Stats In America
Annual Cost Of Owning A Pet
Cat & Dog Population In The World
How Many Dogs & Cats Are In The World?
The current global dog population is estimated to be around 900 million and rising, with the global cat population coming in at about 600 million. Approximately 470 Million dogs are actually kept as pets, and around 370 million pet cats are in the world.
Key Statistics:
Cat & Dog Ownership By Country
The U.S. has the highest dog & cat population per capita. For every four people, there is one dog! There are more dogs or cats in some families than children, making them an integral part of the household. Below is a list of the top 10 cat and dog populations by country.
Top 10 Dog Populations By Country
COUNTRY | POPULATION |
|---|---|
USA | 69,929,000 |
China | 27,400,000 |
Russia | 12,520,000 |
Japan | 12,000,000 |
Philippines | 11,600,000 |
India | 10,200,000 |
Argentina | 9,200,000 |
United Kingdom | 9,000,000 |
France | 7,570,000 |
South Africa | 7,400,000 |
Top 10 Cat Populations By Country
COUNTRY | POPULATION |
|---|---|
USA | 74,059,000 |
China | 53,100,000 |
Russia | 17,800,000 |
Brazil | 12,466,000 |
France | 11,480,000 |
Germany | 8,200,000 |
United Kingdom | 8,000,000 |
Italy | 7,400,000 |
Ukraine | 7,350,000 |
Japan | 7,300,000 |
Wikipedia | Statista | World Atlas | Pet Secure | Modern Cat
Pet Ownership Stats In America
How Many U.S. Households Own A Dog Or Cat?
68% of U.S. households or over 85 Million families own at least one pet according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by APPA (the American Pet Products Association).
Key Statistics:
How Many Pets Die From Food Poisoning In America?
According to the FDA more than 70 pets that have died and more than 80 pets that are sick after eating Sportmix pet food. This comes at the beginning of 2021, hopefully this number won't increase but we will keep it updated.
Key Statistics:
What Are The Most Popular Pets In America?
Dogs are the most popular pet in the U.S. with over 48 Million of them being owned in over 63 Million households.
How Many U.S. Households Own a Pet?
PET TYPE | NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS OWNED |
|---|---|
Dogs | 63 Million |
Cats | 42 Million |
Freshwater Fish | 12 Million |
Birds | 6 Million |
Small Animals | 5 Million |
Reptiles | 5 Million |
Saltwater Fish | 2 Million |
Horses | 2 Million |
Are Cats Or Dogs The Most Popular Pet In America? (By State)
In 2022 Dogs still turn out to be much more popular than pet cats with 45 out of the 50 states owning more dogs than cats. And just recently, the Hawaiian government updated their pet ownership percentage to that of 60% and the Municipality Of Anchorage, Alaska did a study that showed pet ownership to be 25.5% of the States population. The states of Montana, Arkansas, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Indiana have the highest dog ownership in the U.S.
STATE | TOTAL PET OWNERSHIP % | DOG OWNERSHIP % | CAT OWNERSHIP % |
|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | 59.8% |
46.9% |
26.1% |
Alaska | 25.5% | N/A | N/A |
Arizona | 58.0% |
43% |
26.4% |
Arkansas | 69.0% | 51.6% | 34.8% |
California | 40.1% | 0% | 22.9% |
Colorado | 47.2% | 27.1% | 0% |
Connecticut | 49.9% | 24% | 26.7% |
DC | 21.9% | N/A | N/A |
Delaware | 57.9% |
42.2% |
24.1% |
Florida | 56.0% | 39.8% | 24.2% |
Georgia | 51.1% | 36.7% | 20.4% |
Hawaii | 60% | N/A | N/A |
Idaho | 69.9% | 33.3% | 34.4% |
Illinois | 48.6% | 32.4% | 21% |
Indiana | 69% | 49.4% | 37.5% |
Iowa | 59.4% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
Kansas | 62.8% |
43.1% |
32.4% |
Kentucky | 64.1% |
46.5% |
32.2% |
Louisiana | 54.4% | 38.3% | 19% |
Maine | 63.5% | 35.9% | 43.6% |
Maryland | 48.6% | 30.2% | 18.6% |
Massachusetts | 49.4% | 28.9% | 23.5% |
Michigan | 62.4% |
41.9% |
31.2% |
Minnesota | 54.0% | 35.5% | 26.5% |
Mississippi | 65.5% | 51% | 29.1% |
Missouri | 63.5% |
45.1% |
0% |
Montana | 61.9% | 51.9% | 22.8% |
Nebraska | 51.3% | 47.1% | 30.9% |
Nevada | 53.3% | 36.8% | 23.1% |
New Hampshire | 51.8% | 23.7% | 36.4% |
New Jersey | 47.4% | 29.1% | 18.9% |
New Mexico | 60.1% | 39.4% | 25.2% |
New York | 49.7% | 27% | 21.1% |
North Carolina | 58.6% |
41.3% |
26.5% |
North Dakota | 63.7% |
44.3% |
24.8% |
Ohio | 62.4% | 37.9% | 30.7% |
Oklahoma | 65.0% | 47.7% | 28.4% |
Oregon | 59.2% | 37.8% | 30% |
Pennsylvania | 60.6% | 38.9% | 28.9% |
Rhode Island | 45.4% | 25.8% | 16.7% |
South Carolina | 62.0% |
45.3% |
25.2% |
South Dakota | 46.4% | 32.1% | 26.6% |
Tennessee | 61.7% | 47% | 30.9% |
Texas | 58.2% |
43.4% |
20.5% |
Utah | 58.5% | 36.2% | 24.7% |
Vermont | 70.0% | 28.3% | 44.6% |
Virginia | 55.5% | 35.6% | 23.9% |
Washington | 62.7% |
42.8% |
30.5% |
West Virginia | 70.7% | 49.6% | 37.7% |
Wisconsin | 59.0% | 33.6% | 32.4% |
Wyoming | 71.8% | 36% | 30% |
Animal Shelter Statistics In America
How Many Cats & Dogs Are In Shelters In The U.S.
About 6.5 Million cats and dogs enter U.S. shelters every year; about 3.3 million are dogs, and 3.2 million are cats. While this is a considerable number, it is a decline from 7.2 million pets that entered shelters in 2011.
Key Statistics:
Common Reasons Dogs Are Returned to the Shelter:
How Many Dogs & Cats Get Euthanized In Shelters Each Year
About 1.5 million cats and dogs get euthanized in a shelter every year. Around 670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats. This is a huge number, but it’s still down from 2.6 million pets being euthanized annually just 9 years ago.
Key Statistics:
How Many Pets Get Adopted From Shelters Each Year
Each Year close to 4 million pets are adopted from animal shelters (2 million dogs and 2 million for cats). About 620,000 dogs and 90,000 cats that enter shelters as strays are returned to their pet parents.
Key Statistics:
What Are The Most Popular Dog Breeds In Shelters?
Humane Society | The Guardian | ASPCA | Wikipedia | Pet Pedia | Orvis | I Heart Dogs |
Stray Dog & Cat Statistics In The U.S.
How Many Stray Cats & Dogs Are There In America?
There are more than 70 million stray cats, dogs and animals living in the United States according to the Humane Society. Of those, only about 6 to 8 million of them will enter the 3,500 animal shelters a year.
Key Statistics:
How Many Stray Dogs & Cats Are There In The World?
There are about 200 Million stray dogs in the world and about 70 Million stray cats in the world according to the World Health Organization. Of course, this is a strong estimate because it’s hard to come by the exact numbers.
Key Statistics:
Sources:
Do Something | One Green Planet | ASPCA | Wild Life Removal | NPR | All About Cats |
Pet Insurance Statistics In America
What Percentage Of Pet Owners Have Pet Insurance?
Believe it or not, only 2% of pet owners have pet insurance on their pets in the United States. This means that only about 1.4 Million Dogs are covered and about 1.1 million cats are covered. We probably need to do much better than this to protect our furbabies.
Key Statistics:
Sources:
Annual Cost Of Owning A Pet
How Much Does It Cost To Own A Dog Or Cat?
On average it’s going to initially cost you around $500 - $600 to adopt a cat or dog, get pet insurance, and handle any other initial medical costs. After that, you should look at around $500 - $600 per year for ongoing costs, which will vary based on the size of your pet and the brands they prefer.
Key Statistics:
One Time Pet Expenses
TYPE OF EXPENSE | COST |
|---|---|
Adoption cost: | Dog: $0 to $660 / Cat: $0 to $270 |
Food: | Dog: $30-$50 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Startup supplies | $50 to $300 |
Vet and vaccinations: | Dog: $50 to $300 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Preventative medical | $50-$100 |
Spay or neuter: | $20 to $300 |
Licensing: | Dog: $10 to $20 / Cat: $0 to $20 |
Microchip: | $50 |
Total One-time Costs for Dogs: | $260 to $1,780 |
Total One-time Costs for Cats: |
$370 to $1,440 |
Annual Pet Expenses
TYPE OF EXPENSE | COST |
|---|---|
Food: | Dog: $250-$750 / Cat: $100-$200 |
Annual medical exams: | $50-$100 * |
Vaccinations: | $10 to $100 * |
Preventative medical: | $50-$100 * |
Litter: | Cat: $200-$250 |
Toys and Misc. supplies: | $20-$100 |
License: | $0 to $20 |
Pet Insurance | $26 - $46 |
Total Annual Cost for Dog: | $406 to $1,216 |
Total Annual Costs for Cats: | $456 to $916 |
Taking Action
Concluding Thoughts
While it’s hard to give an exact number of dogs or cats living in the world, our goal was to help you better understand the pet population in the world and America.
With so many pets going into shelters and so many uninsured pets, we have a lot of work to do. However, I think we have what it takes to lower the number of pets going into shelters and increase the number of adopted pets and insured pets.
The most shocking statistic that we found was that there are over 1.5 million animals euthanized each year. We would love to see that number go down soon.
Sources:
Wild Life Removal | Wikipedia | Modern Cat | World Population Review | American Pet Products | ASPCA | ASPCA Pet Insurance | AVMA |
Daily Dog Stuff | Do Something | Humane Society | Insurance Information Institute | Insider | Lone Tree Vet | Money Under 30 | NPR | New York Times | One Green Planet | Pawlicy | Pet Coach | Pet Secure | Statista | The Guardian | The Spruce Pets | World Atlas |