Share of young people (15-29) in sport employment
36.2%European Union, 2025
−0.5 ppsince 2024
Source: Eurostat
ISIC R93 · Industry hub · 5 publishers
Fitness and Sports statistics
216 verified figures across 118 measures of the fitness and sports industry, from 5 publishers in 33 regions. Every number opens the report and sentence it was taken from.
Government expenditure on recreational and sporting services as share of GDP
0.4%European Union, 2024
Source: Eurostat
Extra-regional trade deficit in sporting goods
3.4 billion EUREuropean Union, 2024
−8.1%since 2019
Source: Eurostat
Count of EU countries with decreasing camping and open-air recreation equipment price index
12European Union, 2025
Source: Eurostat
Key findings
The most quotable figures in this dataset, each with its publisher. Copy a citation or open the record to read the source sentence.
Market size and output 1
- Sporting goods manufacturing value added in the European Union was 2.5 billion EUR in 2023 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
Growth and change 1
- Employment in sport growth rate in the European Union was 8.1% in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
Trade 4
- Total extra-regional trade in sporting goods in the European Union was 18.1 billion EUR in 2024 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Extra-regional exports of sporting goods in the European Union were 7.3 billion EUR in 2024 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Extra-regional imports of sporting goods in the European Union were 10.8 billion EUR in 2024 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Extra-regional trade deficit in sporting goods in the European Union was 3.4 billion EUR in 2024 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
People and employment 6
- Female employment in sport in the European Union was 786,100 in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Employment in sport in the European Union was 1.8 million in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Male share of sport employment in the European Union was 56.3% in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Share of sport employment with tertiary education in the European Union was 40.1% in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Share of young people (15-29) in sport employment in the European Union was 36.2% in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
- Sport employment as share of total employment in the European Union was 0.9% in 2025 (Eurostat). Eurostat ↗ T1 Official
Charts
The best-covered series in this dataset. Every chart can be embedded with its attribution line, and its underlying data is one click below it.
Sports sector enterprise count growth by country
2023 · 5 countries
Source: Eurostat · percent · CC BY 4.0 · statorigin.org
Fitness and Sports statistics by topic
Each topic gathers one measure across every country and year, with its own country pages and rankings.
- 22 measures · 1 country page15.6%Physical activity participation
- 8 measures · 0 country pages4.7%Sports price inflation
- 6 measures · 0 country pages0.9%Sport employment
- 5 measures · 0 country pages2.5 billionEURSports sector value added
- 2 measures · 0 country pages0.4%Government spending on sport
- 4 measures · 0 country pages15.6%Household spending on sport
- 3 measures · 3 country pages7%Live sports event attendance
- 9 measures · 0 country pages17.6%Sport participation
- 2 measures · 0 country pages0.6%Sports enterprises
- 5 measures · 0 country pages2 billionEURSports sector turnover
Every measure in this dataset
Latest value for each measure, the change from the previous period, and its trend. The full records, with provenance columns, are in the CSV download.
Physical activity participation 22
Share of the population engaging in regular physical activity. 22 slices on this page.
Share of population meeting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic physical activity 33.3% Eurostat 5 records
Share of adults aged 18–64 meeting physical activity guidelines 22.4% +5.4 pp since 2017–2018 ABS 2 records
Share of young people aged 15–17 meeting physical activity guidelines 5.6% +3.7 pp since 2017–2018 ABS 2 records
Share meeting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity, lower secondary education or below 25% Eurostat 1 record
Show 14 more measures
- Share meeting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity, post-secondary education 42%
- Share meeting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity, secondary education 33%
- Share of adult females aged 18–64 meeting physical activity guidelines 19.9%
- Share of adult males aged 18–64 meeting physical activity guidelines 24.9%
- Share of adults aged 18–64 doing 30 minutes of activity on five or more days 56.4%
- Share of adults aged 18–64 doing at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week 74.2%
- Share of adults aged 18–64 doing strength or toning exercises on two or more days 26.6%
- Share of men meeting 150 minutes of weekly aerobic physical activity 37%
- Share of people aged 15+ meeting physical activity guidelines 23.9%
- Share of people aged 15+ who walked for exercise 48.5%
- Share of people aged 65+ meeting physical activity guidelines 33.4%
- Share of young people aged 15–17 doing 60 minutes of physical activity every day 16.8%
- Walking for leisure participation rate (females) 15.6%
- Walking for leisure participation rate (males) 14.1%
Sport participation 9
Share of the population participating in sport or physical exercise. 9 slices on this page.
Show 1 more measure
- Increase in sport participation rate, 2014 to 2019 10 percentage points
Consumer price index 8
Index measuring changes over time in the price level of consumer goods and services. 8 slices on this page.
Employment 6
Total number of individuals employed within a specified industry sector or facility. 6 slices on this page.
Social value 5
The estimated net monetary value of social, wellbeing, and economic benefits generated by an activity or intervention. 5 slices on this page.
Combined social and economic value of community sport and physical activity 85.5 billion GBP Sport England 1 record
Primary social value from sport and physical activity participation 106.9 billion GBP Sport England 1 record
Secondary social value from sport and physical activity healthcare savings 15.9 billion GBP Sport England 1 record
Social and economic value from improved life satisfaction in sport 42 billion GBP Sport England 1 record
Turnover 5
Total value of market sales of goods and services by enterprises. 5 slices on this page.
Value added 5
Value generated by enterprises through their production activity, net of intermediate consumption. 5 slices on this page.
Operating companies 4
Total number of active commercial or research enterprises. 4 slices on this page.
Sporting expenditure 4
Household spending on sporting goods and services. 4 slices on this page.
Gross value added 3
Total monetary value of goods and services produced less intermediate consumption. 3 slices on this page.
Live sports event attendance 3
Share of the population attending at least one live sports event over a given period. 3 slices on this page.
Physical inactivity 3
Share of the population not meeting recommended physical activity guidelines. 3 slices on this page.
Sport employment 3
Number of people employed in the sports sector. 3 slices on this page.
Economic value 2
Total economic output value generated by a sector or activity. 2 slices on this page.
Enterprises 2
Number of enterprises in an economic sector. 2 slices on this page.
Government expenditure 2
Total expenditure incurred by general government. 2 slices on this page.
Sport participation gap 2
Difference in sport participation rates between population groups. 2 slices on this page.
Sporting goods exports 2
Value of sporting goods exported. 2 slices on this page.
Sports or cultural venue attendance 2
Share of people attending sports or cultural venues on a given day. 2 slices on this page.
Sports sector enterprises 2
The number of enterprises operating in the sports sector. 2 slices on this page.
Sports sector value added 2
The value added generated by enterprises in the sports sector. 2 slices on this page.
Measures with one series 22
One slice each, so they have nothing to add up with on this page.
Education-based gap in aerobic physical activity participation (post-secondary vs lower secondary) 25 percentage points Eurostat 2 records
Show 14 more measures
- Count of EU countries with decreasing camping and open-air recreation equipment price index 12
- Count of EU countries with increasing camping and open-air recreation equipment HICP 18
- Extra-regional imports of sporting goods 10.8 billion EUR
- Gender ratio in weekly aerobic physical activity participation (men to women) 3 ratio
- Number of EU countries below one quarter for weekly aerobic activity participation 11
- Number of EU countries where frequent exercisers outnumber non-exercisers 6
- Number of EU countries with comparable sport participation survey data 24
- Number of EU countries with gender gap above 10pp in aerobic activity participation 5
- Number of EU countries with increased sport participation rate 16
- Number of participants in sport and physical activity 24 million
- Number of volunteers in sport and physical activity 3.9 million
- Total extra-regional trade in sporting goods 18.1 billion EUR
- Count of EU countries with below-average all-items HICP growth rate 15
- Count of EU countries with positive but below-average sporting equipment HICP growth 16
118 measures. Each name opens the full series; each value opens the record with its source evidence.
Answered from the data
Common questions
How big is the fitness and sports market in the European Union?
Sporting goods manufacturing value added in the European Union was 2.5 billion EUR in 2023 (Eurostat).
Which country leads in fitness and sports?
France recorded the highest sports and recreation education turnover of the 3 countries with data in 2023, at 2 billion EUR, ahead of Germany (1.6 billion EUR) and the Netherlands (1.2 billion EUR) (Eurostat).
How fast is the fitness and sports market growing?
Sports sector turnover growth in the European Union was 16.7% in 2023 (Eurostat).
Where does this fitness and sports data come from?
Every figure on this page traces to a primary source: 5 organisations publish the underlying data, and the observed figures span 2011 to 2025, with projections to 2030. The full source table lists each report, its publication date and the original link.
How often is this page updated?
The dataset was last verified on 27 September 2026. Annual series are refreshed when the publisher releases a new edition; corrections are accepted at any time and answered within 48 hours.
Which countries have the most fitness and sports data?
31 countries have at least one fitness and sports figure on this page. The best covered are Australia (20 records), the Netherlands (12) and the United Kingdom (10).
Sources
Every document behind this page, with the date we read it and whether the link still resolves. All 216 collected records are published as verified.
| Document | Publisher | Authority tier | Accessed | Locator | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How Australians use their time, 2024 Press release | ABS | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | Participation in free time activities by sex (a) — Females (%) column; Participation in free time activities by sex (a) — Males (%) column | 6 |
| Physical activity, 2022 Press release | ABS | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | Adults aged 18–64 years; Key statistics; Type of exercise | 14 |
| Exercise or Physical Activity Press release | CDC | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | Exercise or Physical Activity | 2 |
| Social value and return on investment of sport and physical activity Press release | Sport England | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | Previous research; Economic impact: Sport Satellite Account for the UK; Social and economic value of community sport and physical activity | 10 |
| Sport participation - practicing sport and physical activity Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | Older people in some Member States are sportier than young people in others; Leisure time physical activities; People with a high level of educational attainment spend more minutes on physical activity | 33 |
| Consumer prices of recreational and sporting goods and services Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | HICP for sporting goods and services – focus on countries; HICP for sporting goods and services – trends at EU level | 25 |
| Enterprises in the sports sector Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | Table 6: Main indicators for enterprises manufacturing sporting goods, 2023; Figure 2: Number of enterprises in the sports sector, by NACE class, 2023; Figure 3: Value added for enterprises in the sports sector, by NACE class, 2023 | 55 |
| Employment in sport Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | Employment in sport accounts for 1.8 million people in the EU, 0.9% of total employment; Highlights; Strong increase in sport employment in 2025 compared with 2024 | 20 |
| International trade in sporting goods Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | International trade in sporting goods at national level – 13 EU countries with a positive trade balance; The value of extra-EU trade in sporting goods in 2024 | 13 |
| Sport participation - attending live sporting events Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | Participation in formal sports and outdoor voluntary activities; Participation in live sports events; In almost all EU countries more men than women attended live sports events at least once | 15 |
| Government expenditure on recreational and sporting services Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | General government expenditure on recreational and sporting services; Highlights | 10 |
| Household expenditure on sporting goods and services Press release | Eurostat | T1 Official | 21 Sep 2026 | Highlights; On average, EU households allocated about two thirds of their expenditure on sporting goods and services to recreational and sporting services; In 2020, in most EU countries, the highest share of average household spending on sporting goods and services was on recreational and sporting services | 10 |
| Physical activity Press release | WHO | T1 Official | 16 Sep 2026 | Key facts; Levels of physical inactivity globally | 3 |
Report snapshots are retained internally for verification only and are never redistributed. Where a figure comes from a paywalled report, only the number published in its public summary is recorded.
Cite and reuse
Published under CC BY 4.0. Reuse is free, including commercially, with attribution.
StatOrigin. (2026). Fitness and Sports Industry Statistics. Retrieved from https://statorigin.org/industries/sports
Found an error? Report it. We answer within 48 hours and log every correction on the corrections page.