One can either be a cat person or a dog person. While cats may be too much to handle at times, dogs are usually the adorable pets many love to keep. As a matter of fact, the US has one of the highest ownership ratios of dogs as the pets of households. The trend has particularly increased due to dog shows, competitions, as well as different types of institutes and organizations formed for the safety of dogs. Over the last few years, dog ownership has changed massively in several countries. Let’s take a look at the amazing world of dogs with the help of the following graphs.
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Pet Ownership Among Households in the US
In the US, more than 50% of households have a pet and the majority of these have a dog. There are different categories of dogs that are popular in the USA which include German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Labrador, Pomeranian, and a few others as well. In 1988, about 55% of the US households kept a pet with them. By 2013, about 70% of the US households were having any kind of pet. With a few minor ups and downs in the subsequent years, in 2022, this number again reached 70%.
Dog Ownership in the United States (In Millions)
Among pet ownership, dogs account for a significant number. Over the years, the number of dogs in the US has increased by 10 million. In 2000, dog ownership in the US was at 70 million which had a dip in the next two years and reached around 67 million. Dog ownership in the US then increased subsequently up until 2014 when it reached 80 million after which it dropped to 75 million in 2015. Dog ownership reached around 83 million in 2017. It is expected to increase even more in the upcoming years to more than 100 million dogs.
Dog Ownership in the European Union
Dogs are not only popular in the US but also popular in the European Union. Both top and bottom countries have extensive levels of dog ownership in the European Union. The top 5 countries include Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, and Lithuania. Dog ownership among these countries is between 38% to 45% of households that have at least one dog. The bottom five countries include Germany, France, Netherland, Sweden, Greece, and Austria as well. These countries have 14 to 20% of households owning a dog.
Dog Ownership in Asia
Dog ownership in Asia is not as much as it is in the highly developed countries such as the UK, USA, and European Union. This is mainly because the Asian economies neither have a major trend of keeping a dog nor are there a lot of high-income earners who can afford dogs. The Philippines has about 75% of people owning a dog while Thailand has about 47%. Other countries have low ownership which includes China (30%), South Korea (20%), Singapore (17%), and Japan (12.5%).
Dog Ownership in the United States (Highest Percentage Vs Lowest Percentage State Wise)
As mentioned earlier, dogs are quite popular in the US but there are some states where they are more popular than the others. These states have different breeds of dogs as well as special organizations and businesses which support the people who are keeping dogs as pets. Among the states with the highest ownership of dogs are Idaho (58%), Montana (52%), Arkansas (52%), Mississippi (51%), West Virginia (50%), Indiana (49%), Oklahoma (48%), Colorado (47%), Nebraska (47%), and Tennessee (47%). The states with the lowest ownership of dogs include South Dakota, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
Top 10 Dogs Breed in the UK Based on Number of New Registrations in 2020
In the UK, the overall trend of dogs has increased. However, some breeds are being considered more than others. This is mainly because these specific breeds such as Labradors and French Bulldogs are much more friendly, easy to handle, and used for security purposes as well. From the graph, we can see that 40,000 new registrations of Labradors and 39,000 for French Bulldogs are present. Cocker Spaniel comes at third with more than 25,000 registrations. Almost 12,000 Bulldogs were registered. Others in this list include Dachshund, English Springer Spaniel, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, and Pug.
Overall Pet Care Spending in the USA
Pet Care spending has increased exponentially in the USA over the past few years. Households now include pet food, medicines, and other expenses in their monthly budgets because over 50% of households are having any type of pet at their homes. In 2010, overall pet care spending in the USA was 7.7% which crossed a benchmark figure of 10% in 2016 when it reached 10.6%. By the end of 2019, the overall pet care spending in the USA was 15.2% which is quite high.
Pet Care Spending Breakdown
The next question is: What is included in Pet care and how to break it down? Pet care spending is usually divided among 4 main aspects which include Pet Food and Treats, Vet Care, Supplies and OTC Medicine, Other Services. Most of the pet care spending goes towards pet food and treats as they are a routine requirement for the pets. As of 2020, the spending on pet food and treats was over $42 billion followed by veterinary care and product sales which account for $31.4 billion. Cost of supplies, and over-the-counter medicines account for $22.1 billion while other miscellaneous expenses account for $8.1 billion.
Average Annual Basic Expenditures for Dog Care in the US in 2020
As per different studies and trend patterns, it has been found that the average annual basic expenditures for dog care within the US are $1,381. The further division of this figure is among Surgical Vet Visits, Food, Kennel Boarding, Routine Vet, Food Treats, Grooming Aids, Vitamins, and Toys. The most expensive among all of these are surgical vet visits which average at about $426 while food comes second at $250. Kennel Boarding costs $220 a year while Routine Vet costs about $210. All other expenditures are quite nominal amounts.
