Dogs in Australia – the Statistics

Aussies love their pets. According to the Australian Companion Animal Council, almost two-thirds of the nation’s 6.6 million households have a pet of some sort living there. Not surprisingly, dogs and cats feature most prominently, with 53 per cent of all households home to one or the other.

In total, there are a staggering 37.1 million pets in this country, and although not the most popular (fish top the poll at 20 million, followed by 7.8 million birds), dogs are well-represented. According to statistics compiled in 2007, there were 3.7 million pet dogs nationwide. However, surprisingly, the statistics suggest that the dog population is now slowly declining from an estimated national average of 20 dogs per every 100 people in 1998 to 18 dogs per every 100 people nine years later.

The following table shows a state-by-state breakdown of dog ownership, so you can see how your region is faring in the dog-loving stakes.

•    NSW/ACT – 1,209,000 dogs (17 per every 100 people)
•    VIC – 906,000 dogs (17 per every 100 people)
•   QLD – 794,000 dogs (19 per every 100 people)
•    SA/NT – 357,000 dogs (20 per every 100 people)
•   WA – 321,000 dogs (16 per every 100 people)
•    TAS – 105,000 dogs (21 per every 100 people)
•   TOTAL – 3,6920,000 dogs (18 per every 100 people)

(SOURCE: TNS, ABS and BIS Shrapnel estimates)

Images by Trojan Llama and mngl