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Reference guide

U.S. pet ownership statistics.

Recent, sourced figures on the pets people keep close, and the scale of care, spending, and companionship around them.

Last updated September 15, 2026. Figures are shown with the reporting period named by the original source.

At a glance

Pet ownership in the United States.

This page gathers a small set of useful, recent figures for writers, pet businesses, and anyone looking for a reliable overview. Each statistic links to the primary source that published it.

94 million

U.S. households owned at least one pet.

This is APPA's reported 2024 household count, up from 82 million in 2023.

Source: APPA State of the Industry Report, March 2025
#1

68 million

U.S. households owned a dog.

APPA reported that dogs were present in 51% of U.S. households in its 2024 ownership data.

Source: APPA State of the Industry Report, March 2025
#2

49 million

U.S. households owned a cat.

APPA reported cat ownership in 37% of U.S. households in its 2024 ownership data.

Source: APPA State of the Industry Report, March 2025
#3

$152 billion

was spent in the U.S. pet industry in 2024.

APPA reported this as total U.S. pet industry expenditure, with $157 billion projected for 2025 at the time of publication.

Source: APPA State of the Industry Report, March 2025
#4

6 million, 6 million, and 2 million

U.S. households owned birds, small animals, and horses, respectively.

These are the household figures highlighted in APPA's 2025 report on bird, small animal, and horse ownership.

Source: APPA Bird, Small Animal & Horse Report, December 2025
#5

70%

of Gen Z pet owners had two or more pets.

APPA reported the figure from its 2024 ownership survey, alongside a 43.5% increase in Gen Z pet-owning households from 2023.

Source: APPA State of the Industry Report, March 2025
#6

Method and sources

How to read these figures.

The statistics above come from American Pet Products Association reports and announcements based on its National Pet Owners Survey. Household counts and spending totals are not interchangeable, so each entry keeps the source's own measure and reporting period. This guide is refreshed when the source data changes materially.

For context on the latest dog and cat figures, APPA's 2025 State of the Industry Report is the primary source. For birds, small animals, and horses, the December 2025 APPA ownership report is the primary source.

Cite this page

AfterBloom Studio. “U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics.” Updated September 15, 2026. https://after-bloom-studio.com/pet-ownership-statistics

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