Young couples increasingly choosing pets over starting a family...with dogs now outnumbering children in one in three neighbourhoods!
They are affectionately known as man's best friend but for many couples under 35 their pet pooches are increasingly part of the family.
By ED HOLT and CAMERON ROY, DATA JOURNALIST
Published: 15:20 GMT, 2 January 2026 | Updated: 16:54 GMT, 2 January 2026
The number of pet dogs outnumbers children in one in three English neighbourhoods as young couple increasingly choose pets over starting a family.
They are affectionately known as man's best friend but for many couples under 35 their pet pooches are increasingly part of the family.
This has led to the rise of the so-called dinkwad phenomenon - an acronym for dual income, no kids, with a dog - among Gen Z and Millenials.
Indeed, surprising data reveals that 34 per cent of postcode areas in England have more dogs than children.
Darlington, in the North East of England, saw the biggest difference in population with 72,134 more dogs than children calling the area home. This was closely followed by Shrewsbury where the difference stands at 51,706.
It is in England's cities where children continue outnumber dogs. Birmingham has the largest disparity with a whopping 323,335 more children followed by east London where the figure stands at just over 205,000.
Liverpool is an outlier among England's cities where there are 17,786 more pet pooches than children.
Meanwhile, the population gap between dogs and children is only closing.
Millennial and Gen Z couples are increasingly choosing pet dogs over raising a family with pooches outnumbering children in one in three English neighbourhoods
The estimated dog population in 2026 stands at about 13 million up from nine million in 2019.
While the population of children stands at 15 million, yearly growth has largely flatlined in recent years.
Rowena Packer, senior lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare science at the Royal Veterinary College, told The Times that dinkwads are celebrating their dogs' birthdays with parties and dressing them up, emulating life with a child.
'Influencer culture should not be underestimated. There is a whole identity around [dinkwads] and people are actively choosing to remain child-free and the dog forms the central source of love,' she said.
Dr Katrina Holland, social research manager at Dogs Trust, said younger owners were more likely to see their dog as a companion and a member of the family.
Dr Holland said: 'Almost a quarter of new puppy owners are aged 25 to 34.
'Within this age bracket, two thirds of dog owners are more likely to see themselves as their dog's parent, a higher proportion than any other age group.'