European Pet Populations Far Exceed Children Under 15

Pets now significantly outnumber children under the age of 15 in homes across Europe. Nearly half of all European households have at least one pet, representing a major shift in modern family life. ^[1]

Numbers

There are an estimated 306 million pets living on the continent. This includes 111 million cats, 91 million dogs, and 44 million birds. The European average is now just 0.4 children under 15 for every single pet. This equals only 1.4 million children under the age of 15.

“The European average is now just 0.4 children under 15 for every single pet.”

Only two countries, North Macedonia and Montenegro, have more young children than pets. In at least 15 European countries, the number of dogs alone is higher than the number of children.

Diminishing Population

This trend aligns with dropping birth rates. No European country is currently meeting the population replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. Bulgaria has the highest rate at 1.72, followed by France at 1.61.

Reasons

Experts state the pandemic played a major role in this shift. Isolation at home caused many people to want a pet for companionship. Lower marriage rates and fewer cohabiting couples have also created more space for animals in daily life.

This demographic change has created a massive pet economy. Europeans buy nearly 9 million tonnes of pet food every year. Owners spend 29 billion euros annually on food, plus another 25 billion euros on pet care and accessories.

The increase in pets is even changing local laws. Courts in Spain have already made new rulings on how to divide custody of dogs and cats during breakups. While animals were once kept mostly in rural areas, they are now a main focus in modern city life.