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40 verified statistics β’ Updated 2026
Key Statistic
9.07 million
There are 9.07 million pet cats in Japan, outnumbering dogs for the seventh consecutive year
Source: Japan Pet Food Association (JPFA), 2023
Japan has approximately 9.1 million pet cats, and since 2017 cats have outnumbered dogs as the nation's most popular pet. The Japanese cat market is valued at nearly 3 trillion yen. Sourced from the Japan Pet Food Association and Ministry of the Environment, these statistics reflect Japan's unique cat culture including cat cafes and cat islands.
9.1 million pet cats, outnumbering dogs since 2017
Cat market valued at nearly 3 trillion yen
Japan's aging population drives the 'fur baby' trend
9.07 million
There are 9.07 million pet cats in Japan, outnumbering dogs for the seventh consecutive yearβ
8.9%
8.9% of Japanese households own at least one catβ
90.4%
90.4% of pet cats in Japan are kept exclusively indoors according to JPFA national surveyβ
369,000
369,000 cats were newly adopted into Japanese households in 2023β
9.07M cats vs 6.84M dogs
Japan has 9.07 million cats compared to 6.84 million dogs, with cats outnumbering dogs since 2017β
15.9M pets vs 14.0M children
Japan has more pets than children, with 15.9 million dogs and cats compared to 14.0 million children under 15β
