Fitness and Sports in United Kingdom
11 verified figures for United Kingdom, covering 11 indicators from 1 primary source. Every figure links to the report it came from.
85.5 billionGBPCombined social and economic value of community sport and physical activity, United Kingdom, 2017–2018Sport England99.6 billionGBPTotal economic value of sport sector, United Kingdom, 2021Sport England3.91GBPReturn on investment of community sport spending, United Kingdom, 2000Sport England
United Kingdom compared
| Measure | United Kingdom | World | Highest country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined social and economic value of community sport and physical activity | 85.5 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 | — | 85.5 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 |
| Gross value added of sport sector | 46.7 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2021 | — | 46.7 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2021 |
| Number of participants in sport and physical activity | 24 millionUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 | — | 24 millionUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 |
| Number of volunteers in sport and physical activity | 3.9 millionUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 | — | 3.9 millionUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 |
| Return on investment of community sport spending | 3.91 GBPUnited Kingdom · 2000 | — | 3.91 GBPUnited Kingdom · 2000 |
| Social and economic value from improved life satisfaction in sport | 42 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 | — | 42 billion GBPUnited Kingdom · 2017–2018 |
The short version
Key takeaways
- Combined social and economic value of community sport and physical activity in United Kingdom stood at 85.5 billion GBP in 2017–2018 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Total economic value of sport sector in United Kingdom stood at 99.6 billion GBP in 2021 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Return on investment of community sport spending in United Kingdom totalled 3.91 GBP in 2000 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Sport sector economic value in United Kingdom stood at 87 billion GBP in 2021 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Gross value added of sport sector in United Kingdom totalled 46.7 billion GBP in 2021 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Primary social value from sport and physical activity participation in United Kingdom stood at 106.9 billion GBP in 2023–2024 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Secondary social value from sport and physical activity healthcare savings in United Kingdom stood at 15.9 billion GBP in 2023–2024 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Social and economic value from improved life satisfaction in sport in United Kingdom stood at 42 billion GBP in 2017–2018 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Social value generated by sport and physical activity in United Kingdom stood at 122.9 billion GBP in 2023–2024 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
- Number of participants in sport and physical activity in United Kingdom reached 24 million in 2017–2018 (Sport England). Sport England ↗ T1 Official
The complete table
Fitness and Sports data for United Kingdom
Every row links to its own page with the full source, verbatim quote and citation.
11 data points across 11 indicators. Each line shows the latest value; open a line for earlier periods and forecasts.
IndicatorPeriodValueSourceType
Combined social and economic value of community sport and physical activity2017–201885.5 billion GBPSport EnglandT12018actual→
Gross value added of sport sector202146.7 billion GBPSport EnglandT12021actual→
Number of participants in sport and physical activity2017–201824 millionSport EnglandT12018actual→
Number of volunteers in sport and physical activity2017–20183.9 millionSport EnglandT12018actual→
Primary social value from sport and physical activity participation2023–2024106.9 billion GBPSport EnglandT12024estimate→
Return on investment of community sport spending20003.91 GBPSport EnglandT12000actual→
Secondary social value from sport and physical activity healthcare savings2023–202415.9 billion GBPSport EnglandT12024estimate→
Social and economic value from improved life satisfaction in sport2017–201842 billion GBPSport EnglandT12018actual→
Social value generated by sport and physical activity2023–2024122.9 billion GBPSport EnglandT12024estimate→
Sport sector economic value202187 billion GBPSport EnglandT12021actual→
Total economic value of sport sector202199.6 billion GBPSport EnglandT12021actual→
Primary documents
Sources
| Document | Publisher | Authority tier | Published | Accessed | Locator | Data points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 11 |
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.
All 11 collected records for United Kingdom are published as verified.
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Data on this page is published under CC BY 4.0. You may reuse it, including commercially, provided you attribute it. Each figure's own page carries APA, MLA, Chicago and BibTeX citations naming its original publisher.
StatOrigin. (2026). Fitness and Sports in United Kingdom: statistics. Retrieved from https://statorigin.org/industries/sports/united-kingdom