Contents
- Gym membership statistics: U.S. membership totals and penetration
- Gym membership statistics by age, engagement, and activity
- Gym membership statistics: UK members, visits, and clubs
- Gym membership statistics across European markets
- Gym membership motivations and barriers in the UK
- Gym membership patterns in U.S. equipment use and training
- Sources
Gym membership statistics: U.S. membership totals and penetration
In 2025, an estimated 81 million Americans aged 6 and older held a gym membership, representing 26.1% penetration for that population. The membership total increased 5.2% from 2024. These measures count people, not contracts or visits: HFA defines a member as an individual paying recurring fees for facility access, and its U.S. membership and penetration estimates cover people aged 6+ who belonged to commercial or noncommercial facilities during the previous 12 months. Source: HFA 2026 United States report
Membership is one view of reach. When nonmembers who used facilities are included, more than 100 million Americans used a fitness facility in 2025, about 33.5% of the population. The same report estimates 7 billion U.S. facility visits that year. The broader user count and visits describe use, not membership status; they should not be substituted for the 81 million member estimate. Source: HFA 2026 United States report; Source: HFA U.S. membership and activity report
| U.S. measure | Reported value | Period and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Gym members | 81 million | 2025; people aged 6+ |
| Membership penetration | 26.1% | 2025; people aged 6+ |
| Facility users, members and nonmembers | More than 100 million | 2025 |
| Penetration among all facility users | About 33.5% | 2025; members and nonmembers |
| Facility visits | Estimated 7 billion | 2025 |
Source: HFA 2026 United States report; Source: HFA U.S. membership and activity report
HFA also reports that commercial facilities averaged more than 184,000 visits per location annually in its traffic-tracker context. The fourth quarter of 2025 was the 19th consecutive quarter of visitation growth tracked for the U.S. industry. These are facility-traffic indicators, not an average number of visits per member. Source: HFA 2026 United States report
Gym membership statistics by age, engagement, and activity
Membership penetration varied by age. U.S. adults aged 18–24 had the highest fitness-facility membership penetration of any age cohort, at 35.5% in 2025. At the other end of the reported age comparison, membership among facility members aged 65 and older grew 8.6% year over year. That growth rate describes the 65+ membership segment; it is not a penetration figure. Source: HFA 2026 U.S. membership and activity report
Engagement measures also show that holding a membership does not mean every member uses it. In the 2025 report, 4.6% of U.S. facility members did not use their membership at all, down from around 10%. The report also compares activity among users and nonusers: 49.4% of facility members met or exceeded federal aerobic-activity guidelines, compared with 24.5% of Americans who did not use facilities. In a typical week, 4.7% of members reported no physical activity, compared with 33.1% of nonusers. These are reported group comparisons; they do not establish that membership caused the differences. Source: HFA 2026 U.S. membership and activity report
| Engagement or activity measure | Facility members | Nonusers |
|---|---|---|
| Met or exceeded federal aerobic-activity guidelines | 49.4% | 24.5% |
| Reported no physical activity in a typical week | 4.7% | 33.1% |
Source: HFA 2026 U.S. membership and activity report
The age and activity measures have different denominators: the 35.5% figure is penetration among adults aged 18–24, while the 8.6% figure is year-over-year growth for members aged 65+. The inactivity and guideline comparisons distinguish facility members from Americans who did not use facilities. Reading each against its stated population keeps these indicators useful without treating them as interchangeable measures of participation. Source: HFA 2026 U.S. membership and activity report
Gym membership statistics: UK members, visits, and clubs
In the UK, health and fitness club membership reached a record 12.2 million people over age 16 in 2025. Penetration for the same 16+ population was 18.0%. The historical series shows 14.6% in 2022, 16.0% in 2023, and 16.9% in 2024, followed by the 2025 figure. This is a reported series of annual membership penetration, not a count of visits. Source: ukactive 2026 UK Health and Fitness Market Report
UK clubs recorded 679 million visits in 2025, a 10% increase on 2024. The sector report counted 5,842 health and fitness clubs, 4.2% more than in 2024. Membership, visits, and club count capture different dimensions: people, facility entries, and establishments, respectively. The visit total is not a count of unique visitors. Source: ukactive 2026 UK Health and Fitness Market Report
| UK sector measure | Reported value | Period and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Club members | 12.2 million | 2025; people over age 16 |
| Membership penetration | 14.6% | 2022; people aged 16+ |
| Membership penetration | 16.0% | 2023; people aged 16+ |
| Membership penetration | 16.9% | 2024; people aged 16+ |
| Membership penetration | 18.0% | 2025; people aged 16+ |
| Club visits | 679 million | 2025 |
| Health and fitness clubs | 5,842 | 2025 |
Source: ukactive 2026 UK Health and Fitness Market Report
Gym membership statistics across European markets
The HFA country reports offer several distinct market snapshots for 2025. Germany reported 12.36 million fitness and health club members and penetration of 14.8% of the total population. When people accessing facilities through aggregator models are included, the report gives an expanded active-exerciser total of 13.83 million and market penetration of around 16.5%. Those expanded measures have a broader access definition than conventional membership. Source: HFA 2026 Germany report
Portugal’s fitness-facility membership grew 9.2% to 851,730 in 2025, with penetration at 8.2% of the population. The report gives annual membership retention of 61.5%, average attendance of 2.3 visits per week, and 10.4 visits per month per member. These attendance measures are reported in their original units; they are not conversions of one another. Source: HFA 2026 Portugal report
Austria had nearly 1.4 million fitness-facility members in 2025, with penetration of 14.6%. Germany’s chain segment recorded 12.6% facility-count growth that year. This last figure measures facility growth, not membership growth. Source: HFA 2026 Austria report; Source: HFA 2026 Germany report
| Market measure | Germany | Portugal | Austria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members in 2025 | 12.36 million | 851,730 | Nearly 1.4 million |
| Penetration in 2025 | 14.8% of total population | 8.2% of population | 14.6% |
Source: HFA 2026 Germany report; Source: HFA 2026 Portugal report; Source: HFA 2026 Austria report
The HFA report cautions that country definitions and market boundaries vary. Its figures are indicators and should not be summed as if they were fully standardized. Germany’s conventional membership and aggregator-inclusive totals illustrate why access models and denominators matter when comparing markets. Source: HFA 2026 report methodology; Source: HFA 2026 Germany report
Gym membership motivations and barriers in the UK
A separate UK survey of 6,395 residents aged 16 and older, conducted from January through July 2026 and weighted to represent that population, asked about reasons for joining a gym. Across age groups, 74% said improving overall confidence was an important factor. The survey also reported motivations by generation, including social connection, health conditions, and mental wellbeing. These are respondent-reported motivations, not measured causes of joining or retention. Source: ukactive National Fitness Day survey
Making new friends was important for joining a gym for 51% of Gen Z respondents, 53% of Millennials, 37% of Gen X, and 35% of Baby Boomers. Among surveyed women, 47% said making new friends was important. These figures show how the survey’s answers differed across the stated respondent groups; the source does not provide a complete cross-tabulation for every demographic. Source: ukactive National Fitness Day survey
Health and wellbeing appeared in other reported motivations. Managing a health condition was important for joining for 52% of Baby Boomers and 54% of Gen X respondents. Improving mental health and wellbeing was reported as a motivation by 75% of Gen Z, 84% of Millennials, and 76% of Gen X respondents. Each percentage refers to the stated survey group and joining-gym question. Source: ukactive National Fitness Day survey
| UK survey response | Reported share | Respondent group |
|---|---|---|
| Improving overall confidence important for joining | 74% | All age groups; respondents aged 16+ |
| Making new friends important | 51% | Gen Z |
| Making new friends important | 53% | Millennials |
| Making new friends important | 37% | Gen X |
| Making new friends important | 35% | Baby Boomers |
| Managing a health condition important | 52% | Baby Boomers |
| Managing a health condition important | 54% | Gen X |
| Improving mental health and wellbeing | 75% | Gen Z |
| Improving mental health and wellbeing | 84% | Millennials |
| Improving mental health and wellbeing | 76% | Gen X |
Source: ukactive National Fitness Day survey
Gym membership patterns in U.S. equipment use and training
HFA’s U.S. member-use figures provide a view of the activities and equipment used inside facilities. In 2024, 43.4% of members used treadmills, while 32.1% trained with dumbbells or free weights. Resistance-machine use was 26.6% in 2024, down from 31.4% in 2021; elliptical use declined from 23.2% in 2021 to 18.8% in 2024. These are member-use shares, with the comparison years preserved as reported. Source: HFA U.S. equipment and training report
Participation in several activities was also reported. Yoga participation among U.S. facility members rose from 20.2% in 2023 to 21.8% in 2024. Pilates reached 8.1% in 2024. Pickleball participation increased from 3.3% in 2021 to 8.1% in 2024. These measures describe participation among facility members, rather than the share of all Americans. Source: HFA U.S. equipment and training report
| U.S. member activity or equipment use | Share and period |
|---|---|
| Treadmills | 43.4% in 2024 |
| Dumbbells or free weights | 32.1% in 2024 |
| Resistance machines | 31.4% in 2021; 26.6% in 2024 |
| Ellipticals | 23.2% in 2021; 18.8% in 2024 |
| Yoga | 20.2% in 2023; 21.8% in 2024 |
| Pilates | 8.1% in 2024 |
| Pickleball | 3.3% in 2021; 8.1% in 2024 |
Source: HFA U.S. equipment and training report
Training formats add another dimension. In 2024, 22.6% of U.S. fitness-facility members worked with a personal trainer, and 32.3% took part in small-group training. Women accounted for much of the reported personal-training growth: their participation increased 15.9% to 7.3 million participants in 2024. The participation rate and participant count describe different quantities, so they should be read separately. Source: HFA U.S. equipment and training report
Sources
- 81 Million Americans Were Members of a Fitness Facility in 2025, New HFA Report Finds
- North America: United States - 2026 HFA Global Report
- How 77 Million Fitness Members Work Out: New HFA Data Reveals Shifting Equipment, Training, and Membership Trends
- UK Health and Fitness Market Report 2026 reveals visits to health and fitness clubs up 10% and 18% of the population now members
- Beyond the ‘Gym Bro’: Survey shows all generations turning to fitness for friendship as UK celebrates National Fitness Day
- About This Report - 2026 HFA Global Report
- Europe: Germany - 2026 HFA Global Report
- Europe: Portugal - 2026 HFA Global Report
- Europe: Austria - 2026 HFA Global Report
- Europe: Switzerland - 2026 HFA Global Report
- Europe: France - 2026 HFA Global Report