How many dogs are owned in the UK? Find Out Here

Our 2022 findings showed that:

  • 52% of UK adults own a pet
  • 27% of UK adults have a dog with an estimated population of 10.2 million pet dogs
  • 24% of the UK adult population have a cat with an estimated population of 11.1 million pet cats
  • 2% of the UK adult population have a rabbit with an estimated population of 1 million pet rabbits
  • You can read the latest version of the PAW Report here and you can download previous versions here.

    Number of pet dogs in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010/11 to 2021/22 (in millions)*

    Exclusive Premium statistic

    Characteristic Number of dogs in millions

    You need a Statista Account for unlimited access.

  • Full access to 1m statistics
  • Incl. source references
  • Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format
  • Statista Accounts

    Access to this and all other statistics on 80,000 topics from

    $468 / Year $708 / Year Download

    18 years and olderMethod of interview

    *Figures are based on estimates. The survey changed from face-to-face to online in 2021, which means 2021 and 2022 data cannot be compared with earlier years but the percentage of households owning pets can be compared between 2022 and 2021 with some caution required as the sample size changed from 5,093 in 2021 to 8,983 in 2022. Sample sizes vary as follows: n (2019/20) = 8,000; n (2018/19) = 8,000; n (2017/18) = 8,000; n (2016/17) = 8,000; n (2015/16) = 8000; n (2014/15) = 8353; n (2013/14) = 6,192; n (2012/13) = 4,223; n (2011/12) = 4,205; n (2010/11) = 4,156.Citation formats

    1 London has more cats than dogs, with 61% cats in London households in 2018.

    London was the only region in the U.K. where the cats outnumbered the dogs. Dog ownership sits at 50%. The other regions highest in cats are the Southeast at 51%, and third was the East of England at 47%.

    The Cost of Owning a Dog in the UK 2020