More populous nations inherently will tend to have more pets. However, ordering the top five cat and dog populations in Europe by per capita pet ownership causes different patterns to emerge.
The rankings of pet populations in various European countries don’t necessarily reflect the prevalence of pet ownership. More populous nations inherently will tend to have more pets. However, ordering the top five cat and dog populations in Europe by per capita pet ownership causes different patterns to emerge.
Last year, Russia had the highest pet dog and cat populations in Europe, according to the FEDIAF report "Facts & Figures 2021." Italians owned the most pet birds, while France was home to the most reptile pets. The United Kingdom had the most aquariums.
Considering the six nations with highest dog and cat populations, I divided that FEDIAF pet data by the human population in 2021, according to World Bank statistics using Eurostat data. Russia dropped from the top spot to the fifth, while Spain proved to have the most dogs per person. Likewise, when considering the cat population, Russia went to fifth. France proved to have the most cats per person. Spain and France were opposites in pet preference, with France having the lowest per capita dog numbers. Spain had the fewest cats per person.
6 highest dog populations per capita in Europe 2021
Spain
United Kingdom
Italy
Germany
Russia
France
6 highest cat populations per capita in Europe 2021
France
Germany
United Kingdom
Italy
Russia
Spain
Cat and dog populations per capita in Europe 2021
Dog population
Cat population
Human population 2021
Per capita dog
Per capita cat
France
7,500,000
15,100,000
67,499,340.00
0.111
0.224
Germany
10,300,000
16,700,000
83,129,290
0.124
0.201
Italy
8,700,000
10,050,000
59,066,220
0.147
0.170
Russia
17,550,000
22,950,000
143,446,060.00
0.122
0.160
Spain
9,313,000
5,859,000
47,326,690.00
0.197
0.124
United Kingdom
12,000,000
12,000,000
67,326,570.00
0.178
0.178
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inScientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both
from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
Many hours, efforts, dollars and brainpower go into pet food companies’ and regulatory bodies’ efforts to ensure that products on the market are safe and healthy for pets.
