How Many Cats Are There in the World? (Statistics to Know in 2022)
Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
Cats have invaded our homes and our hearts, and they seem to be only growing in popularity through social media! So, we know that our fuzzy kitties are popular on our computer screens, but exactly how popular are they as pets?
We did the research and have found 16 interesting statistics, all based around cats. How many are owned in North America, Europe, and around the world? Included are few other bits of information about cats. Learning about kitties is never boring!
The Top 16 Cat Statistics About Cat Populations Worldwide
1. 373 million cats were kept as pets worldwide in 2018.
(Statista)
Cats are outnumbered by dogs, in that there were 470 million dogs kept as pets around the world in 2018.
Image Credit: Tossatis chongjiragal, Shutterstock
2. In 2020, there were 110,148,000 cats in European households.
(Statista)
In 2010, the number of cats in European households was 84,705,000 , so there were 25,443,000 more cats over the course of 10 years. Interestingly, cats outnumber dogs in Europe, with there being almost 90,000,000 dogs owned in 2020.
3. The European country with the most cats is Russia, with 22,750,000 in 2020.
(FEDIAF)
Russia is followed by Germany with 15,700,000, followed closely by France with 15,100,000.
Image Credit: andiroth, Pixabay
4. Russia owns more cats than any other country in the world at 59% cat ownership.
(Quartz)
Since Russia tops the European charts with the most cats, maybe it isn’t too much of a surprise that this is also worldwide. 59% of Russians own a cat, which is followed by Ukraine at 49% and the United States in third with 43% cat owners.
5. Romania has the highest percentage of households that own at least one cat at 47%.
(FEDIAF)
In second place is Latvia with 38% households, and third is Hungary with 34% of households owning at least one cat.
6. Southeast England has the highest population of cats in 802,000 households in the U.K.
(PFMA)
In the U.K. in 2019, Southeast England had 1,100,000 cats, which was the highest population of cats. North West England was second with 543,000 households.
Image Credit: fotoliza, Shutterstock
The Top 6 North American Cat Statistics
7. 3 million U.S. households owned cats in 2021.
(APPA)
Cats are the second most popular pet in the United States, with 45.3 million cats in American households. 26% of cats are obtained from animal shelters.
Image Credit: Pixabay
8. The state of Vermont owned the most cats in 2016 at 45%.
(AVMA)
After Vermont, Maine is in second place at 44%, and West Virginia and Indiana at 38%. It’s thought that cold states tend to be cat-oriented.
9. The Ragdoll happens to be the most popular cat breed in the U.S. in 2020.
(CFA)
The Cat Fancier’s Association pegged the Ragdoll as the most popular cat breed in 2020, which was the second year in the row for this cat to snag this honor. It’s followed by the Exotic in second and the Maine Coon in third place.
Image Credit: klevers, Shutterstock
10. It’s estimated there are about 32 million feral cats in the United States.
(Feline Research)
It’s difficult to come up with numbers for the feral cat populations, but it’s thought that 32 million cats live in the States, with 76% of those living in cities.
11. There were 8.1 million pet cats in Canada in 2020.
(CAHI)
Interestingly, the number of cats owned in Canada outnumbers the number of dogs, which was 7.7 million in 2020.
12. 31% of Canadian households own at least one cat.
(Abacus Data)
A minimum of 56% of Canadians say that they own at least one pet, with dogs and cats usually being the most popular.
Image Credit: madeinitaly4k, Shutterstock
The Top 4 Shelter Cat Statistics
13. About 3.2 million cats enter U.S. animal shelters every year.
(ASPCA)
The good news is that it’s thought that the number of pets entering animal shelters has been declining since 2011. In 2019, shelters brought in 6.3 million animals, and in 2011, it was 7.2 million.
Image Credit: xixicatphotos, Shutterstock
14. About 530,000 cats are euthanized every year.
(ASPCA)
Unfortunately, approximately 920,000 animals in U.S. shelters are euthanized every year. The numbers have decreased a little when in 2011, 2.6 million animals were euthanized.
15. About 2.1 million cats are adopted every year.
(ASPCA)
Statistics show that 4.1 million pets are adopted every year, with 2 million of those being dogs. This means more cats are being adopted.
16. 27% of cats adopted in 2019 were strays.
(ASPCA)
This number was higher in 2012, when 35% of cats were adopted as strays.
Image Credit: Susan Schmitz, Shutterstock
Frequently Asked Questions About Cat Ownership
How many cats are adopted from animal shelters?
From 2019 to 2020, 42.7 million cats were owned by Americans, which comes to 34% of the population. 43% of these cats were adopted from animal rescues and shelters. (Humane Society)
Image Credit: VS_star, Pixabay
What age group owns more cats?
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) are the largest age group that owns pets at 31%. Of these pets, 50% are cats. (Pet Food Processing)
How much do Americans spend on their cats?
In 2020, Americans spent an average of $687 on their cats. Food was the highest expense, at an average of $329. (Statista)
Image Credit: Anika Moritz, Shutterstock
How many people acquired cats during the pandemic?
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 14% of cat owners got their cats through a rescue organization or animal shelter. 6% of these cat owners were first-time pet owners. (Statista)
How many Americans think of their pets as fur babies?
In 2020, it was found that 75% of Millennial Americans think of their pets as fur babies. 80% of the Gen X age group (born 1965 to 1976) also felt this way. (Statista)
Conclusion
If we’ve learned anything, it’s that cats are among the most popular pets around the world. We hope that these statistics have helped answer any questions that you might have had or at least provided you with more information. Our cats are such an important part of our lives, and these numbers really highlight how essential they are to us.
Kathryn was a librarian in a previous lifetime and is currently a writer about all things pets. When she was a child, she hoped to work in zoos or with wildlife in some way, thanks to her all-consuming love for animals. Unfortunately, she’s not strong in the sciences, so she fills her days with researching and writing about all kinds of animals and spends time playing with her adorable but terribly naughty tabby cat, Bella. Kathryn is hoping to add to her family in the near future – maybe another cat and a dog.
