Pet ownership continues to grow in Italy, with 37.7% of families—around 10 million households—having at least one pet. This is up from 36.2% in 2015. In total, there are 25.5 million pets in Italian homes.
Dogs (22.1% of households) and cats (17.4%) are the most common, followed by fish, birds, and turtles. The data reflects a slow but steady cultural shift toward integrating animals into everyday life, resilient even in times of economic hardship.