Number of registered pets tops 3.7 million in 2025: Data

The number of dogs, cats and other animals registered as pets in Korea rose by more than 5 percent on year last year, data showed Monday.

The figure reached 3.67 million in 2025, up 5.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

But newly registered animals declined 4.9 percent to some 247,000 over the cited period.

In Korea, dog owners are required to register their pets with the authorities, while cat registration remains optional, as part of an effort to reduce the number of stray animals.

The number of stray pets rescued in 2025 was 96,000, down 10.4 percent from the previous year, according to the data.

The number of animal shelters operated by regional governments across the country came to 236, up 5 from a year earlier, the latest findings showed.

Yonhap