UK Pet Population

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Every year, our UK pet population survey reaches almost 9,000 households in the UK

Commissioned since 2010, our online pet population survey provides data on the number of UK households that own a pet and the Top Ten most popular pets.

2026

In 2026, it is estimated that 62% of households own one of the UK's 36.5 million pets. 
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UK Pet Population 2026

Top 10 Pets

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  1. Dogs: There are approximately 15.5 million dogs as pets in the UK, with 41% of households owning a dog.
  2. Cats: There are approximately 13 million pet cats in the UK, with 31% of all households having a cat.
  3. Indoor Birds: There are approximately 1.4 million birds kept as indoor pets in the UK, with 2.7% of households keeping them.
  4. Domestic Fowl: There are approximately 0.9 million domestic fowl as pets in the UK, with 1.1% of households having at least one.
  5. Horses & Ponies: There are approximately 600,000 horses as pets in the UK and 1% of households have one.
  6. Rabbits: There are approximately 500,000 rabbits as household pets in the UK, with 1.1% of households having at least one.
  7. Guinea Pigs: There are approximately 700,000 guinea pigs as pets in the UK, with 1.2% of households having at least one.
  8. Snakes: There are approximately 600,000 pet snakes in the UK, with 1.3% of households having one.
  9. Pigeons: The are approximately 500,000 pet pigeons in the UK, with 0.7% of households having one.
  10. Tortoises & Turtles: There are approximately 700,000 tortoises and turtles being kept as pets in the UK, with 1.6% of households having one.

Note: All figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000.

Pet Fish Population

  • 13% of households have an indoor fish tank.
  • 11% of households in the UK have an outdoor pond

Note: Kantar / Soulor Consulting online survey with 8,951 respondents, January 2026