Pet dogs: Where in the EU is man's best friend most popular?

Published on 22/09/2025 - 7:00 GMT+2

Some 500 cardinal dogs are dotted crossed the world, with the United States (90 million), Brazil (55 million), and China (54 million) starring the pack, according to the latest figures from the Worldostats. 

Across the full of Europe, Worldostats recorded astir 90 cardinal favored dogs. Europeans are intelligibly feline people, arsenic the continent's feline colonisation is larger, astatine astir 108 million.

However, dogs are importantly up of different apical pets, specified arsenic ornamental birds (48 million), tiny mammals (25 million), food (18 million), and reptiles (11 million).  

It is estimated that astir 139 cardinal European households presently ain a pet.

Which state houses the astir favored dogs?

Within the European Union, Germany leads the rankings erstwhile it comes to with 10.6 cardinal dogs, followed by Spain (9.3 million), Italy (8.8 million), Poland (8.1 million), France (7.6 million), and Romania (4.2 million). 

When it comes to the astir dogs per capita, however, the starring countries are Hungary, with 29 dogs for each 100 people.

This is followed by Portugal, with 27 dogs for each 100 people, and Poland, with 21 dogs per 100 people. 

The fig of favored dogs successful the EU has steadily accrued since the 2000s, driven by millennial households that signifier smaller families, person children aboriginal successful life, enactment from location oregon successful hybrid formats, and person a higher income, immoderate analysts claimed.

People successful older property groups are besides much apt to person pets, chiefly dogs, for the companionship and the wellness benefits that an carnal companion tin provide.  

A cardinal economical assemblage successful Europe

The favored marketplace is already a cardinal economical assemblage crossed Europe.

The market, which includes food, services, and accessories, was worthy astir €30 cardinal successful 2023.

Only for favored nutrient person Europeans accrued their expenses with an mean yearly maturation complaint of astir 3% for the past fewer years.

The continent is location to much than 400 favored nutrient companies.

Around 190,000 veterinarians enactment successful the EU (1.25 per 1,000 dogs and cats), compared to immoderate 120,000 successful the US (0.79 per 1,000 dogs and cats), according to the latest "Global State of Pet Care" survey.