Latvia is a nation of cat lovers — and has more pet-owning households than the Nordics
More than half of Latvian households have at least one pet, with cats nearly twice as common as dogs, according to January 2026 survey data from SKDS and the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research (WIN).
In Latvia, 56% of households have at least one pet, compared with an average of 52% across 18 European countries included in the survey. Cats are present in 42% of Latvian households, while dogs are kept in 22%.
Latvia stands out particularly in comparison with the Nordic countries. Pet ownership reaches 41% of households in Sweden, 37% in Denmark, 33% in Norway and 32% in Finland — substantially below Latvia’s level.
Poland, however, leads this group of countries, with pets in 59% of households. Unlike Latvia, dogs are more common than cats in Poland: 39% of households have dogs, compared with 33% with cats.
Pet ownership in selected European countries
Share of households reporting at least one pet, %
| Country | Any pet | Cats | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 59 | 33 | 39 |
| Latvia | 56 | 42 | 22 |
| European average* | 52 | 27 | 29 |
| Germany | 48 | 24 | 24 |
| Sweden | 41 | 24 | 18 |
| Denmark | 37 | 17 | 21 |
| Norway | 33 | 18 | 15 |
| Finland | 32 | 14 | 18 |
The figures highlight a distinctive feature of Latvia’s pet-owning households: cats outnumber dogs by a margin of 20 percentage points, considerably wider than in the other European countries shown.
The survey measures the presence of pets in households, not the total number of animals. Respondents could report more than one type of pet.
Source: WIN international survey, January 2026, approximately 39,300 adult respondents across 44 countries. Latvian results: SKDS online survey of 1,000 adults, January 2026.
*European average covers 18 surveyed countries. Lithuania and Estonia were not included in the comparison.