In one out of every three neighborhoods across England, pet dogs now outnumber children, reflecting a growing trend among young couples who are opting for canine companionship instead of starting families.

While dogs have long been cherished as man’s best friend, they are increasingly becoming integral members of the family for many couples under the age of 35.

This shift has given rise to a new trend known as the “dinkwad” phenomenon—an acronym standing for “dual income, no kids, with a dog”—which is gaining popularity among Gen Z and Millennials.

Recent data highlights this trend, showing that in 34 percent of postal areas in England, there are more dogs than children.

Darlington, a town in the North East of England, leads this trend with an astonishing 72,134 more dogs than children residing there. Shrewsbury follows closely, with a difference of 51,706.

Conversely, England’s urban areas still see a higher number of children compared to dogs. Birmingham tops the list with a significant gap of 323,335 more children, followed by East London, which has just over 205,000 more children than dogs.

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.’

In July last year, the Daily Mail reported that fertility rates had sunk to their lowest levels since records began in the 1930s.

The trend of ditching the dummy for the dog collar has been attributed to the rise of the so-called dinkwad phenomenon – an acronym for dual income, no kids, with a dog  – among young couples 

Women in England and Wales, on average, now only have 1.44 children.

Yet, in parts of the country, this is as low as 0.1 – the equivalent of one child for every ten women of childbearing age.

Experts fear the freefalling trend will leave the country reliant on immigration to prop up the economy, with Britain otherwise left with too few younger people to work, pay tax and look after the elderly.

And the plunging fertility rates mean nine in ten neighbourhoods face the terrifying threat of ‘underpopulation’.

Staggering analysis shows only 5,000 out of 36,000 communities are having enough babies.