The Rise and Size of the Fitness Industry in Europe

Fitness, a market worth 26.6 billion euros in Europe

The European health and fitness market continued to grow strongly in 2017. The total number of health and fitness club members reached 60 million people, a 4% increase in membership. Today fitness is the leading European sporting activity .

With growth of 5.3% and 10.6 million members, Germany strengthens its position as European leader with the largest number of practitioners ahead of the United Kingdom (9.7 million), France (5.7 million), Italy (5.3 million) and Spain (5.2 million).

Since 2014, the European health and fitness market has grown with an average annual growth rate of 3.7% at constant exchange rates. In 2017, the total turnover of fitness clubs in Europe amounted to 26.6 billion euros.

Germany and the United Kingdom are the two largest markets in Europe, the two countries achieve respective turnover of 5.2 and 5.1 billion euros. France climbs to third step of the podium with a turnover of 2.5 billion euros.

In many European markets, we are seeing a decline in average income per member as membership continues to grow.

The French fitness market is doing well

In France, the number of clubs continues to grow each year . In 2017, there were no less than 4,200 clubs, an increase of 5% in one year. The number of members per club decreased slightly between 2016 and 2017 (-0.4%).

The democratization of fitness and the development of competition between sports clubs have allowed prices to drop steadily for 10 years. The average monthly cost spent by a member fell between 2016 and 2017 by 2.5%, from € 41 to € 40 per month .

As competition between clubs is increasingly fierce, the average turnover per club has plunged since 2012 and continues to decline. The average turnover per club has fallen by 30% in 5 years, going from 848K € in 2012 to 595K € in 2017. The decrease between 2016 and 2017 is 3%.

The outlook for the fitness and health market

A market that continues to grow

2017 was another year of strong growth in terms of both affiliation and market value. According to experts, the European fitness market will continue to grow to reach up to 80 million members by 2025.

Low cost, the main driver of growth in the fitness market in Europe.

The low-cost offer has grown significantly within France, we have notably seen the first international player Basic Fit arrive en masse, which now owns 190 clubs in the region. The proliferation of low-cost offers in Europe should continue to push down the prices of room subscriptions.

The emergence of gym shops

The concept of gym shops is a real success in the United States. In response to low-cost and standardization, gym shops are opening all over Europe and particularly in France. These are unique places where a single activity is practiced (Cross Training, Indoor Cycling, Yoga…) in a very “immersive” way and at rather high prices. The principle of “pay as you go” ( I only pay for what I consume without making a commitment) fuels the success of Boutique Gyms with millennials.