Ice in either slot
48Only 4.7% of species have Ice as a primary or secondary type.
Pokémon Data Answer · Dataset v1.0.0
What Is the Rarest Pokémon Type?
Ice is the least common type when a species counts in either its primary or secondary slot. Flying is the smallest group when each species is assigned only to its primary type. Both answers come from the same 1,025-species snapshot—the counting rule is what changes.
Explore the parent visualizationDirect answer
Ice is rarest overall; Flying is rarest as a primary type
Ice appears on 48 of the 1,025 species when both type slots count, fewer than any other type. If every species is grouped only by its primary type, Flying is rarest with nine species. These totals use each species' default variety and cover National Pokédex numbers 1 through 1025.
Flying as primary type
9Flying is usually a secondary type, so it becomes the smallest primary-type group.
Next-rarest any-slot type
Fairy · 64Ice appears on 16 fewer species than Fairy, the next-smallest either-slot group.
Ice as primary type
31Ice is the third-smallest primary-type group, behind Flying and Fairy.
| Type | Either type slot | Primary type | Share of species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice | 48 | 31 | 4.7% |
| Fairy | 64 | 29 | 6.2% |
| Ghost | 65 | 35 | 6.3% |
| Steel | 65 | 36 | 6.3% |
| Dark | 69 | 45 | 6.7% |
| Electric | 69 | 59 | 6.7% |
| Dragon | 70 | 37 | 6.8% |
| Fighting | 73 | 40 | 7.1% |
| Rock | 74 | 58 | 7.2% |
| Ground | 75 | 40 | 7.3% |
| Fire | 81 | 66 | 7.9% |
| Poison | 83 | 42 | 8.1% |
| Bug | 92 | 83 | 9.0% |
| Psychic | 102 | 60 | 10.0% |
| Flying | 109 | 9 | 10.6% |
| Grass | 127 | 103 | 12.4% |
| Normal | 131 | 118 | 12.8% |
| Water | 154 | 134 | 15.0% |
The either-slot count asks how many species have a type at all. A dual-type species contributes once to each of its two categories, which makes Ice the rarest type with 48 appearances.
The primary-type count assigns every species to exactly one group using the first type on its default variety. Under that rule, Flying is rarest with nine species. The two measures answer different questions, so a type-rarity claim should always state which one it uses.
Flying appears on 109 species in either slot, making it the fourth-most common type by overall coverage. It is the primary type for only nine species in this snapshot because it appears far more often as a secondary type.
That 100-species difference is the largest contrast between the two columns. A primary-only treemap is useful for assigning every species to one category, but it should not be read as the total number of species associated with each type.
Ice appears on 48 species, or 4.7% of the 1,025-species dataset. Fairy is next with 64 appearances, leaving a gap of 16 species between the two least-common either-slot groups.
Ice is not the smallest primary group: 31 species use Ice as their primary type, compared with 29 for Fairy and nine for Flying. This is another reason the full counting method matters more than an unqualified rarity label.
The dataset contains one record for each species from Bulbasaur through Pecharunt, National Pokédex numbers 1–1025, spanning Generations I–IX. It uses the default variety for each species.
The page is tied to dataset version 1.0.0 because later species or reviewed type changes can alter the ranking. Alternate forms, regional forms, Mega Evolutions, and other non-default varieties are outside this result.
Dataset 1.0.0 · Reviewed 2026-08-10
Counts are recomputed from the 1,025 unique species records in the canonical Pokémon Species Treemap Dataset. The either-slot calculation counts each species once for every distinct type in its types array. The primary calculation counts only primaryType. Percentages divide either-slot counts by 1,025 and round to one decimal place.
- PokéAPI v2 documentation — Documentation for the primary upstream species, Pokémon, type, generation, and evolution resources used by the canonical dataset generator.
- PokéAPI source repository — Upstream project source and provenance context for the API-backed snapshot.
What is the rarest Pokémon type?
Ice is the rarest when a type counts in either the primary or secondary slot, appearing on 48 of 1,025 species. Flying is rarest when species are grouped only by primary type, with nine.
Why is Flying not rare when secondary types count?
Flying appears on 109 species overall but is the primary type for only nine. It is frequently paired as the second type, producing very different either-slot and primary-only rankings.
What is the second-rarest Pokémon type?
Fairy is the second-rarest by either-slot coverage with 64 species. Under primary-only grouping, Fairy is second-smallest with 29 species.
Are alternate Pokémon forms included?
No. The snapshot contains one record per National Pokédex species and uses its default variety. Alternate and regional forms are not separate records.
Will the rarest type ever change?
It can. This answer is tied to dataset version 1.0.0 and National Pokédex #1–1025. Later species additions or reviewed type assignments can change the counts.
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Pokedex Type Treemap
Open the canonical project page for the full interactive visualization, methodology, and related references.
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