Report: European fitness hits 75.5m members and €39bn revenue in 2025

Unveiled April 15 at the European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF)  in Cologne, the report suggests the market’s post-pandemic rebound has hardened into a more entrenched growth story, powered by stronger yields, rapid consolidation and a widening consumer base.

Europe’s fitness market sets new records, but the US still leads

European gym memberships reached 75.5 million by year-end 2025, up 4.1 million, or 5.8 percent, from the previous year. Revenue climbed even faster, rising 9.1 percent to €39.1 billion and underlining a sector where value growth is outpacing volume. The industry also added 1,965 net new clubs, bringing the total to 67,515.

The headline penetration rate — 9.3 percent of Europe’s total population, or 11 percent among those aged 15 and over — shows both the progress made and the room still to grow.

By comparison, US fitness penetration stands at 24.9 percent of the population aged six and over, according to the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) 2025 Global Report. For EuropeActive, the gap is less a ceiling than a measure of the long runway ahead on its path to 100 million club members across the continent by 2030.

Basic-Fit leads consolidation wave across European fitness

Consolidation emerged as one of the defining stories of 2025 in Europe’s fitness market. The report recorded 27 M&A transactions involving brick-and-mortar club operators, resulting in 936 clubs changing hands. The headline deal was Basic-Fit’s takeover of Clever fit, which moved 493 clubs across ten countries — Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and the UK — and accounted for more than half of all clubs transferred during the year.

The top 20 operators expanded by more than 2.8 million members, lifting their combined total to nearly 20.9 million and giving them a 28 percent share of the market. Their aggregate revenue climbed 11 percent to about €7.9 billion, ahead of the wider market’s 9.1 percent growth and a clear sign that scale is becoming an even bigger advantage.

By membership, the three largest operators at year-end were Basic-Fit (5.8 million), PureGym (2.1 million) and RSG Group (1.8 million). By revenue, the leaders were Basic-Fit (€1.4 billion), David Lloyd Leisure (€1.1 billion) and PureGym (€750 million).

Consumer behavior: regularity up, longevity emerging, GLP-1 on the radar

The report draws on a survey of 11,250 people across 20 European countries, conducted in January 2026 and benchmarked against previous years. The share of regular fitness participants rose to 64 percent of the population, up five points from 2023. Fitness clubs remained the dominant exercise setting across markets, while more specialist formats including HIIT, CrossFit and Pilates continued to serve clearly defined niches, with popularity varying sharply from country to country.

For the first time, the study also flags two emerging behavioral trends. On longevity, respondents said they understood the concept, but mostly in broad terms. Asked what most contributes to long-term health, they put physical activity, sleep and balanced nutrition at the top of the list, with social and cognitive factors trailing behind.

The same pattern of cautious adoption appears around GLP-1 weight-loss medications. Awareness is widespread, but actual use remains below 3 percent of respondents. Among current users, roughly two-thirds say they still keep up a regular fitness routine, and about half of that group train in fitness clubs — suggesting the drugs are being used alongside exercise, not in place of it.

See also: WFSGI and six global bodies call to embed fitness and sport into GLP-1 treatment, SGI Europe

Generational divides are sharpening. Younger consumers are more likely to embrace digital fitness products and boutique studios, and to treat exercise as part of identity and lifestyle. Older consumers, meanwhile, continue to gravitate toward traditional club formats. Supplement use and nutritional consistency are also higher among regular participants than in the population at large.

Germany, Europe’s biggest fitness market, posts another record year

The report also provides a detailed picture of Europe’s largest fitness economy. Germany finished 2025 with 12.36 million members, up 5.6 percent year on year, €6.25 billion in net revenue, up 7.4 percent, and 9,647 facilities, up 5.7 percent, a net gain of 520 clubs. Penetration reached 14.8 percent of the total population and 21.9 percent of those aged 15 to 65, surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels for the first time in both measures.

The average monthly fee for a standard 12-month membership rose 3.4 percent to €48.55 gross. Chain operators averaged €40.54 a month, reflecting the weight of budget clubs in the mix, while independents averaged €59.24. Special-interest facilities saw their average fee slip 3.3 percent to €80.02, partly because the year saw a contraction of 76 high-priced EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, studios.

The consolidation trend was also evident in Germany, where Basic-Fit absorbed former clever fit clubs and all inclusive Fitness acquired Fit Star, adding 20 clubs.

The SGIE Europe take: what the data means for the sporting goods industry.

The report points to three consumer shifts that are likely to matter for sporting goods brands and retailers.

First, Europe’s growing base of older active members is creating demand for products and services tailored to changing needs — from adapted programming to apparel and equipment.

Second, the rise of GLP-1 medications is bringing a new cohort into exercise, but one that may also need support for muscle preservation and nutritional supplementation, opening adjacent category opportunities.

Third, longevity remains more buzzword than mass-market concept, but it is gaining traction with institutions and insurers. Operators and brands that move early with credible longevity propositions — anchored in data, wearables and coaching — could be well placed in a segment that is still defining itself.