Most popular dog breeds in South Korea in 2021

Maltese dogs are the most common dog breed owned in South Korea, according to a survey conducted in 2021, with 23.7 percent of respondents answering to own such a dog. The market for pets and pet products in South Korea has continued to grow over the last years in Korea and according to forecasts will continue to do so for the next six years.

Dog population in South Korea

Just as the pet market size has grown, the dog population in South Korea has also experienced an upward trend, with almost six million dogs owned as pets in 2019. The same year, the number of dog registrations spiked, accumulating around 650 thousand registrations more than the year before. Dog registrations became mandatory in 2014 and dog owners have to follow up with multiple veterinarian checks. Reasons for this policy were, among others, to reduce the number of stray dogs in cities, such as Seoul, and simplify the recovery of lost dogs.

Pet food market

In 2019, the annual spending on dog food per household in South Korea amounted to around 388 U.S. dollars in total, including snacks. According to a survey among pet owners, the preferred type of dog food was dry food. Dry food can be easily imported from other countries and in 2020, South Korea imported most of its pet food from the U.S.