• European health and fitness club memberships grew by 4.0% to 60.0 million in 2017
• Total fitness club revenues were €26.6 billion (+3.8% at constant currency)
• The number of facilities increased by 3.2% to 59,055
• The top 30 European fitness club operators accounted for 14.1 million members, representing 23.5% of all memberships
• The top 10 operators increased revenues by 4.0% to €3.1 billion
• Merger and acquisition activity reached a new high in 2017 with 20 major M&A transactions in the operator market
Today, at the 5th European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF), Deloitte Partner Karsten Hollasch presented the major conclusions from the latest market research published by EuropeActive in cooperation with Deloitte. The EHFF brings together global decision makers for a high-calibre congress and networking event. The focus is on the key market developments, innovations and challenges. Also it is the pre-opening event for FIBO, the world’s largest fitness trade show, which takes place in Cologne, Germany from 12-15 April 2018.
According to the study, the European health and fitness market continued to grow strongly in 2017 as the total number of health and fitness club members increased by 4.0% to about 60.0 million. With a membership growth of 5.3% to 10.6 million members, Germany strengthened its position as the country with the highest membership ahead of the United Kingdom (9.7 million), France (5.7 million), Italy (5.3 million) and Spain (5.2 million).
Top 5 European fitness markets by membership
Rank Country Membership Growth (vs. 2016)
1 Germany 10,610,000 +5.3%
2 United Kingdom 9,720,000 +5.1%
3 France 5,710,000 +4.6%
4 Italy 5,320,000 +1.3%
5 Spain 5,200,000 +2.8%
Notes: Figures as of 31.12.2017.
Sources: EuropeActive/Deloitte
In terms of market penetration, Sweden ranks highest with 21.4% of the total population holding a health or fitness club membership. Other countries with high fitness club penetration include Norway (20.9%), Denmark (18.3%), the Netherlands (17.0%), and the UK (14.8%).
Overall, 7.6% of the total population were members of a health or fitness club, with a penetration rate of 9.1% for people aged 15 years and older. Thus, the high penetration rates in most Northern and Central European countries were partly offset by lower market penetration in many Southern and Eastern European fitness markets.
As stated in the club operator section of the report, the top 30 operators increased their membership by 9.5% to 14.1 million, which accounts for 23.5% of total European membership (+1.0 percentage points). This is a reflection of further concentration on the operator side.
In the European membership ranking, McFIT Group (1.73 million members) retained its leading position ahead of Basic-Fit (1.52 million), which reported the highest absolute year-on-year membership growth in the market (+310,000). With Pure Gym (0.92 million), clever fit (0.62 million), and The Gym Group (0.61 million), three fellow budget operators also rank among the top 5 operators by membership.
Top 5 European fitness club operators by membership
Rank Operator Membership Growth (vs. 2016)
1 McFIT Group 1,730,000 +6.8%
2 Basic-Fit 1,520,000 +25.6%
3 Pure Gym 923,000 +12.6%
4 clever fit 620,000 +13.8%
5 The Gym Group 607,000 +35.5%
Notes: Figures as of 31.12.2017
Sources: EuropeActive/Deloitte
Total fitness club revenues in 2017 were €26.6 billion, which represents an increase of 3.8% compared to 2016 at constant currency exchange rates. In contrast to the membership ranking, the revenue ranking is led by three operators with higher-priced concepts: David Lloyd Leisure (€483 million), Migros Group (€388 million), and Virgin Active (€356 million).
Besides key figures and detailed profiles of the top 30 European fitness club operators, the European Health & Fitness Market Report includes profiles of the 19 largest national markets and analyses of merger and acquisition activities, EU policy implications and the global equipment market, as well as interviews with selected seven CEOs from the fitness industry. In addition, a chapter on the growing functional fitness trend has been prepared for this report.
Herman Rutgers, EuropeActive Board member and co-author of the report, commented:
“2017 was another year of strong growth in terms of both membership and market value. This shows that the products and services of our sector remain highly attractive to consumers across Europe and makes us confident to reach the industry goal of 80 million members by 2025.”
The European Health & Fitness Market Report, the seventh joint publication of EuropeActive and Deloitte, represents the most comprehensive report on the European health and fitness market and serves as a valuable source of information for industry stakeholders. This report was made possible by the generous support of Basic-Fit, FIBO, IHRSA and Technogym.
The full report (180 pages – only in hard copy) is available for €249 (EuropeActive members only €99,60) and can be ordered through EuropeActive’s Knowledge Centre at: https://europeactive.blackboxpublishers.com/en/publications/european-health-fitness-market-report-ehfmr-2018/ ________________________________________
About EuropeActive
EuropeActive, formerly known as the European Health & Fitness Association (EHFA), with its origins in 1996 as a non-profit organisation, continues today as the unique voice addressing key European Institutions on behalf of the European health and fitness sector. Its mission is not just to turn back the tide of inactivity but to ensure that more and more people get active as a result of an effective synergy between all the sector’s actors.
EuropeActive represents more than 25,000 fitness centres, 21 national associations, together with market-leading suppliers, education providers and individuals.
For further information visit www.europeactive.eu or www.ereps.eu or contact: thesecretariat@europeactive.eu
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