2024 Gym Membership Statistics: Retention, Demographics & Usage

We’ve compiled the latest gym membership statistics into one handy resource. It includes stats on gym usage, retention rates, demographics, pricing, boutique studios, exercise motivation, and more. So whether you’re researching data for a business plan or want insights to inform your marketing efforts, you’ll find what you need here.

In this article, we outline 35 gym membership statistics that provide valuable insights into the fitness market and consumer behavior.

We’ve spent 15+ years working in the fitness industry, from leading gym chains to global equipment manufacturers, so know the market inside-out. We proactively study the ever-changing landscape, highlight new trends, and analyze the big players. For the last 5 years, we’ve shared this expertise with the wider industry through our trends articles and Research Reports which are available to purchase. 

2024 Fitness Industry Report

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

Latest Gym Membership Stats & Facts

Statistics on gym memberships can provide hugely useful insights for fitness business owners and start-ups. They can help with benchmarking, identifying untapped opportunities, and tailoring marketing so that it’s more appealing to target demographics. 

Knowing how many people have health club and fitness studio memberships can help you estimate the size of the overall gym market. Understanding demographics enables you to create effective marketing campaigns that drive membership sales. Being aware of gym dropout rates will help you forecast revenue more accurately and develop retention activities.

So here is a list of the latest gym membership facts and stats covering usage, demographics, retention, workout motivation, and more (sources are listed at the bottom of this article)…

1. Over 184 million people worldwide are members of health clubs.
2. The top 10 global markets account for three out of four health club members.
3. The total number of health club visits is 6 billion per year.
4. More than 72 million Americans were members of a gym in 2023.
5. 21.6% of Americans have a gym membership.
6. Another 13 million non-members exercise at clubs.
7. This means that 1 in 4 Americans use a health club to pursue fitness and wellness goals.
8. The average US gym membership costs $59.
9. The average member uses their club more than 75 days a year.
10. The most popular equipment types are treadmills, free weights, and resistance machines.
11. Yoga, swimming, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are the most popular activities.
12. The average American gym member is 37 years old.
13. In terms of gym membership demographics, Millennials and Generation X account for the greatest share of health club memberships at a combined 57% of total members.
14. Generation Z represents 14% of total members, Baby Boomers 22%, and the Silent Generation 7%.
15. Z and Millennial generations are more inclined to engage in group-based activities.
16. Gen Xers and younger Boomers prefer to utilize cardio and strength training equipment.
17. 81% of Millennials exercise or would like to, vs only 61% of Boomers. 
18. Members increasingly join more than one facility, indicating the continued popularity of boutique and specialist studios.
19. 35% of boutique studio members use just one facility, whereas 65% have memberships to two or more different ones. 
20. The average boutique fitness studio earns $774 per member.
21. Between 2013 and 2017, boutique memberships grew by 121% (compared to 15% at traditional gyms).
22. More than 42% of all gym memberships are to boutique fitness studios. 
23. There is currently little data available on precise membership numbers post-Covid, however, estimates are around 25 million members. 
24. Although the fitness industry has a reputation for high turnover of members, the average gym membership retention rate is 72.4%.
25. This means the average gym membership dropout rate is 27.6%.
26. Recruiting new members costs five times as much as retaining current ones.
27. 65% of a company’s business comes from existing customers.
28. The average global value of a lost customer is $243.
29. Despite the importance of customer retention, less than a third of business executives consider it a priority.
30. 28% of the world’s adults (1.4 billion people) are insufficiently active.
31. In the US, 46.9% of the population meet aerobic physical activity guidelines and 24.2% meet them for aerobic and strength activity.
32. In the UK, 61.4% are physically active (150+ mins of exercise per week).
33. Motivations for exercising are evolving – 10 years ago the top-cited reason was to look good, three years ago it was to control weight, two years back it was stress relief, and in 2023 it was about longevity.
34. 40% of people consider wellness a top priority in daily life.
35. Mental health is an increasingly important element – exercise is the most commonly reported tool for relieving stress.

You might also like… Insightful workout industry statistics or the latest wellness industry data.

These statistics give you a good idea of what drives gym members to exercise, their workout preferences, and general consumer behavior in the fitness industry. They demonstrate the huge market size and potential for businesses to address untapped opportunities.

If you’d like to get even more insights into the fitness industry, the latest trends, and future predictions, then check out our research report…

2024 Fitness Industry Report

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date fitness industry research report available. Unlike others, you get extended access to the 2024 edition, including any updates that are made as new market data becomes available. Ideal for business planning and strategic marketing, the 90-page report includes;

• Fitness industry revenue & growth by market segment
• Comprehensive fitness market SWOT analysis
• Gym market size, growth & membership statistics
• Online & virtual fitness market developments
• Financial information for the largest club operators globally
• Biggest & fastest growing fitness franchises
• Insights into the boutique fitness studio & personal training segments
• Latest industry trends & how to capitalise on them
• Growth markets, segments & audiences including Millennials
• Data on fitness tracker, app & equipment segments
• Outlook & evidence-based predictions for the future of the industry
• 14-day money-back guarantee, no questions or hassle.

2024 Fitness Industry Market Report NEW

Data Sources

We make every effort to ensure that this data is correct at the time of publishing, but it’s important to do your own local research when making business decisions. Here are links to all of the sources of gym membership stats mentioned in this article…