Introduction
New findings from the WIN Worldviews Survey for World Animal Day 2026, based on a global study of 45,000 surveys across 45 countries and territories, show that pet ownership is a mainstream reality worldwide. Overall, 56% of people say they have a pet in their household, underlining the central place animals occupy in everyday life across markets and generations.
The study highlights the dominance of dogs and cats in households around the world. Globally, 32% of people have a dog and 28% have a cat, while other types of pets remain far less common: 5% have birds, 4% fish, and 1% turtles or mice/hamsters. Among pet owners, most households remain focused on a single type of pet, with 73% owning only one pet species, compared with 27% who have two or more.
Pet ownership is especially widespread among adults aged 25 to 44, where it reaches 59%, while it falls to 43% among those aged 65 and over. Household structure also plays a major role: single parents with children (64%) and couples with children (60%) are the most likely to have pets, compared with 43% among people living alone.
The findings also point to strong international contrasts. Pet ownership is particularly high in countries such as Mexico (71%), Ecuador (70%), Argentina (69%) and Paraguay (69%), while it is much lower in Vietnam (20%), South Korea (25%) and Japan (28%). These differences suggest that pet ownership is shaped not only by personal preference, but also by broader cultural, social and lifestyle factors.
Overall, the study confirms that pets are deeply embedded in household life across the world, with dogs and cats clearly leading global preferences. Beyond the headline figures, the survey reveals meaningful differences by age, household type and country, offering a nuanced picture of how relationships with pets vary across societies.
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