• Dog population in the UK 2022

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The population of dogs kept as pets in the United Kingdom (UK) was estimated at 13 million in 2020/21, which constitutes a marked increase from a decade earlier in 2010/11, when the dog population in the UK was around 7.6 million.

Dog ownership in the UK

As the population of dogs grew in the United Kingdom over the last decade, so did the share of dog-owning households in the UK. Between 2019/20 and 2021/22, the share of UK households owning a pet dog jumped from 23 percent to around 34 percent. This sudden increase could be attributed to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting government-imposed quarantines that forced people to stay at home.
UK households own pet dogs from various breeds. However, Labrador Retrievers were by far the most popular dog breed in the UK, with around 39,905 registrations in 2020. French Bulldogs were also equally popular with 39,266 registrations in that year.

How much does it cost to own a dog in the UK?

Consumer spending on pets and related products went up significantly in the United Kingdom between 2005 and 2020, with expenditure levels peaking at 7.88 billion British pounds in 2020. The annual cost of keeping a pet dog in the UK amounted to an estimated 1,875 GBP as of 2022. Broken down by expense type, boarding for two weeks cost approximately 450 GBP per year and was the costliest part of owning a pet dog, followed by pet insurance estimated at around 330 GBP annually.

Number of pet dogs in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2010/11 to 2021/22 (in millions)*

Characteristic	Number of dogs in millions
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Release date

2022

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2010/11 to 2021/22

Number of respondents

8,983 respondents

Age group

18 years and older

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

*Figures are based on estimates. The survey changed from face-to-face to online in 2021, which means 2021 and 2022 data cannot be compared with earlier years but the percentage of households owning pets can be compared between 2022 and 2021 with some caution required as the sample size changed from 5,093 in 2021 to 8,983 in 2022.
Sample sizes vary as follows: n (2019/20) = 8,000; n (2018/19) = 8,000; n (2017/18) = 8,000; n (2016/17) = 8,000; n (2015/16) = 8000; n (2014/15) = 8353; n (2013/14) = 6,192; n (2012/13) = 4,223; n (2011/12) = 4,205; n (2010/11) = 4,156.