Pet Population 2021
Every year the PFMA commissions the well respected Pet Population report, which looks in detail at pet ownership trends. In 2021 it is estimated that 17m (59% of) households have pets.
| 2021 | Pet population (m) | % households with ..… |
|---|---|---|
| Dogs | 12 | 33% |
| Cats | 12 | 27% |
| Rabbits | 1.1 | 2% |
| Indoor Birds | 1.3 | 2% |
| Guinea Pigs | 0.8 | 1.2% |
| Domestic Fowl | 1.2 | 1.1% |
| Hamsters | 0.6 | 1.7% |
| Tortoises and Turtles | 0.4 | 1% |
| Snakes | 0.4 | 0.8% |
| Lizards | 0.4 | 0.7% |
| Horses and Ponies | 0.5 | 1% |
| Gerbils | 0.4 | 0.6% |
| Rats | 0.2 | 0.3% |
| Ferrets | 0.1 | 0.1% |
| Frogs and Toads | 0.2 | 0.2% |
| People keep insects | 0.3 | 0.3% |
| Newts/Salamanders | 0.1 | 0.1% |
| Pigeons | 0.5 | 0.8% |
| Mice | 0.1 | 0.1% |
Each year a representative sample of UK adults are interviewed by Kantar / Soulor Consulting about their pet ownership. Pre-pandemic, since 2014, interviews were face-to-face - however, in 2021 5093 interviews took place via an online survey.