Over the years, pets have evolved from being a strange and wonderful distraction to an integral part of families all over the world. As human populations have grown, so too have pet populations, and with so many pets on the planet it’s fascinating to see just how this population is dispersed.

It’s no surprise that man’s best friend, the dog, is the most loved household pet, but did you know fish and birds were a close second? What drives certain countries to be so pet obsessed, while others are seemingly uninterested? Did you know that Brazilians love small dogs while Saudis prefer the bigger breeds?

Read on to learn which nations have the world’s largest populations of dogs, cats, birds, and fish, and some other interesting pet facts from around the world.

Brazil35,800,000 TOP 20

DOG POPULATIONS USA 69,929,000 China 27,400,000 Russia 12,520,000 Japan 12,000,000 Philippines 11,600,000 India 10,200,000 Argentina 9,200,000 UK 9,000,000 France 7,570,000 South Africa 7,400,000 Poland 7,311,000 Italy 7,000,000 Germany 5,300,000 Ethiopia 5,000,000 Spain 4,720,000 Romania 4,166,000 Australia 3,700,000 Czech Republic 3,152,000 Hungary 2,856,000 TOP 20

CAT POPULATIONS USA 74,059,000 China 53,100,000 Russia 17,800,000 Brazil 12,466,000 France 11,480,000 Germany 8,200,000 UK 8,000,000 Italy 7,400,000 Ukraine 7,350,000 Japan 7,300,000 Poland 5,550,000 Romania 3,891,000 Spain 3,385,000 Argentina 3,000,000 Netherlands 2,877,000 Hungary 2,240,000 Australia 2,200,000 South Africa 2,000,000 Belgium 1,884,100 Czech Republic 1,750,000 TOP 20

BIRD POPULATIONS Brazil 191,001,000 Italy 13,000,000 USA 8,300,000 Australia 7,800,000 France 6,200,000 Netherlands 4,490,000 Spain 3,718,000 Germany 3,500,000 Russia 2,800,000 Belgium 2,700,000 Poland 1,300,000 UK 1,000,000 Greece 980,000 Portugal 640,000 New Zealand 527,000 Hungary 445,000 Switzerland 383,000 Sweden 322,000 Austria 281,000 Romania 264,000 TOP 20

FISH POPULATIONS USA 57,750,000 France 37,300,000 Brazil 26,500,000 Australia 20,500,000 UK 20,000,000 Germany 2,000,000 New Zealand 1,678,000 Italy 1,540,000 Russia 770,000 Netherlands 708,000 Sweden 262,000 Poland 231,000 Spain 170,000 Switzerland 169,000 Belgium 146,000 Romania 96,000 Portugal 74,000 Austria 71,000 Hungary 58,000 Greece 38,000

Americans spend

over $50 billion

per annum on

their pets. 27% of American

pet owners admit

to having had professional

photographs taken of their pets. 36% of Americans

give their dog

birthday presents.

9 in 10 Americans say

they consider

their pet to

be a part

of their

family. More than half of all Americans

have a dog or a cat in their home. 555,000

households in

the United States

have a pet snake.

Pet ownership in the US

has more

than tripled

since the

1970s. Half of all pet owners in the USA

admit to

talking to

their pets. Romania has the world’s most

balanced pet population, with 45%

of households owning dogs and

45% of households owning cats.

While Switzerland’s dog

population is shrinking, India

has the fastest growing dog

population in the world. Norwegians spend the most

money feeding their dogs, totalling

roughly $629 a year, while

Vietnamese spend the least. Fish are the most

popular pet

in the UK.

Brazil has the highest

number of small dogs per

capita in the world. 68% of New Zealand households

own a pet, higher than

any other country on

the planet. Saudi Arabia has the world’s

highest proportion of big

dogs, with 70% of their

dog population belonging

to a large breed.

92% of Aussie cats

and 76% of

Aussie dogs

are kept

indoors. 83% of Australians

have had a pet at

some point in

their lives. 53% of Aussies

without

a pet would

like to own one.

Australian pet owners visit their doctors

less than non pet owners, and they also

recover from illness faster.

less than non pet owners, and they also recover from illness faster. In Australia, 20% of Gen Y pet owners

have pet insurance, compared

to 12% of their baby boomer

counterparts.

Why is it important to have pet insurance?