Gym Market Research & Industry Stats

Gym market stats can be a useful resource when starting a fitness centre, health club, or personal training studio. They help you develop a business plan by providing insights into how much demand there is for fitness services.

For fitness companies that are already established, gym memberships statistics can also be useful. They provide a benchmark for retention and churn while helping you to calculate your break-even point.

In this article – we share the latest gym stats on market size, growth, and memberships, plus insightful industry analysis.

You can find links to all the data sources at the bottom of this article. We check for updated statistics regularly but it’s worth doing your own due diligence – especially if you’re using this data for business planning.

2023 Fitness Industry Report

The most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the fitness industry available. Includes revenue, growth, and future predictions plus much more.

Gym Market Size, Growth & Trends

Here are the latest gym industry statistics that demonstrate its market size, growth, and trends…

• The gym market is estimated to be worth $81.5bn in 2023 [Wellness Creative Co. 2023].
• The health club market was worth $96.7bn globally at its peak and grew every year 2008-2020 [IHRSA 2020].
• The U.S. gym industry lost $20.4bn in 2020 and 25% of clubs closed as a result [IHRSA 2022].
• In the USA, there were more than 6 billion gym visits to 41,370 facilities pre-pandemic (this excludes hotel gyms) serving 71.5 million consumers [IHRSA 2020].
• In the UK there are over 7000 gyms and the market value is just under £5 billion [Leisure Database 2022].
• Boutique studios and budget clubs (high volume low cost) are continuing to perform well, although some are predicting a resurgence of mid-market clubs [Wellness Creative Co. 2023].

These health club industry statistics are mixed news – they show a healthy (excuse the pun) demand which suggests growth in the future. But there’s no denying that 2020 was a shocker…

You can read more about how recent global events impacted the fitness industry (and gyms in particular) in this article. 

It’s been a time of uncertainty in the gym sector. Its positive past performance does not mean it’s guaranteed to bounce back fully.

Some businesses may never reopen their doors and the impact of consumers embracing digital fitness isn’t yet fully known. 

Although interest in health and fitness is growing, no gym market analysis would be complete without a worst-case scenario…

There’s increasing potential for a global recession meaning a double hit for fitness businesses. During the recession of 2008, the gym industry did not fare well. As people’s disposable income decreased, gym memberships were one of the first things to get cut from household budgets.

This led to an overall decrease in market revenue – contraction instead of growth. So, it’s important to identify how your business could withstand a similar situation given the increased likelihood of this occurring in 2023.

You might also like… 9 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Gym Or Fitness Studio.

Club Market Share – Global, USA & UK

The leading health club chains account for the majority of facilities globally. Here are some gym statistics on market share and the biggest operators in the industry…

• By revenue, the three largest gym chains globally are Life Time Fitness, LA Fitness, and 24 Hour Fitness [Wellness Creative Co. 2023].
• Market share in the US is dominated by these three brands along with Anytime Fitness, Equinox, and ClubCorp [Wellness Creative Co. 2021].
• In terms of franchise chains, Anytime Fitness ($1.73 billion) and Planet Fitness ($527.9 million) are the largest globally [Wellness Creative Co. 2021].
• According to Ibis World research, the market share in the UK is lead by David Lloyd, Virgin, and Pure Gym [Ibis World 2023].

You might also like… Top 10 Fitness Industry Trends (& What They Mean For The Industry).

Gym Membership Statistics

Here are some useful gym membership stats that can help to inform your business planning…

• One gym member is worth an average of $517 to a facility each year [Wellness Creative Co. 2023].
• Over 1 in 5 Americans belong to at least one U.S. health club or studio [IHRSA 2019].
• There were 64.2 US million gym members in 2019, up 2.7% from 62.5 million in 2018 [IHRSA 2019].
• Gym attendance statistics show that these 62.5 million health club members use a club or studio for an average of 104 days a year [IHRSA 2019].
• There are also 9 million non-members who attend a club or studio for an average of 24 days a year [IHRSA 2019].
• Between 2008 and 2018, membership grew by 37.1%, while the total number of club-goers increased by 34% [IHRSA 2019].
• UK gym membership statistics reveal that there are more than 10 million gym members nationwide [Leisure Database 2023].
• The UK penetration rate is 15.1% which equates to 1 in every 7 people being a member of a gym [Leisure Database 2023].

These stats on gym membership show that there’s plenty of potential for further growth. Gyms need to work on convincing more of the population to begin attending their facilities.

If the UK increased its gym attendees from 15% to 20% (in line with US penetration rates), then this would equate to 3.3 million more people exercising on a regular basis. The beneficial implications for public health, vast reductions in NHS costs, and increases in gym revenue are huge.

The chart below shows gym membership statistics by month and annual trends.

Typically, interest in gym memberships peaks during January (no surprise there!) but there are also significant dips in May, July, and throughout the fourth quarter. These could be ideal times to run gym promotions that boost membership numbers or encourage loyalty.

2023 Gym Market Research Report

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date gym market research report available. It covers the topic in much more depth and includes gym industry analysis for health clubs, fitness studios, and product manufacturers too.

Unlike other reports, you get extended access to the 2023 edition, including any updates that are made as new industry data becomes available. Ideal for business planning, the report includes;

• Gym industry revenue, growth & future predictions
• Online & virtual training market developments
• Impact of recent global events & estimated recovery timelines
• Number of gyms, members & retention statistics
• Growth markets, segments & audiences including Millennials
• Latest industry trends & how to capitalise on them
• Financial information for the largest club operators globally
• Biggest & fastest growing fitness franchises
• Insights into the personal training & boutique market segments
• Data on fitness product, equipment & wearables markets
• Evidence-based predictions for the future of the industry
• 14-day money-back guarantee, no questions or hassle​

2023 Fitness Industry Report

The most comprehensive and up-to-date report on the fitness industry available. Includes revenue, growth, and future predictions plus much more.

Note: Data is correct at the time of publishing, but it’s important to do your own local research when making business decisions. Sources include: