Pet ownership rates vary by country in East and South Asia. The most popular pet species also differs depending on the nation. An online survey by Rakuten Insight found that while 59% of people in the region keep pets, the average doesn’t always reflect the range of rates in a specific country. The survey included 97,000 respondents from China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. Ratuken’s analysts conducted their survey in January 2021.
Some of the highest rates of pet ownership were in Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. Among these nations, the Philippines and Thailand have ownership rates for both dogs and cats above 40%. In Vietnam and the Philippines, dogs are the most frequently owned pets. Thailand had more similar levels between dogs and cats, while Indonesia had significantly more cat ownership than dog.
Top dog and cat ownership rates in East Asia
Philippines – 83% overall
- Dogs - 67%
- Cats - 43%
Thailand – 76% overall
- Dogs – 47%
- Cats – 42%
Vietnam – 73% overall
- Dogs – 53%
- Cats – 35%
Indonesia – 72% overall
- Dogs – 10%
- Cats – 47%
Dogs were the most frequently kept pets in the twelve markets surveyed by Ratuken accounting for approximately one-third (32%) of respondents. Cats chased dogs with 26% of respondents owning felines. Indonesia and Malaysia were the only nations were cat ownership exceeded dog. Fish were the third most popular at 15% of respondents. However, 41% stated that they did not own any pets at all.
Asian pet markets with lowest pet ownership rates
Some Asian nations, including some of the world’s largest economies, had lower pet ownership rates than their neighbors. Japanese survey respondents reported only 11% ownership rates for both cats and dogs. In Japan, 72% stated that they were not currently raising any pets. In South Korea, 66% of survey respondents did not keep pets, with 22% owning dogs and 9% for cats. Singapore had the third lowest pet ownership rate with 64% not owning any companion animals. In Hong Kong, 61% reported not owning a pet compared to 47% in China overall.
