The number of health club memberships in Europe fell from 64.8 million in 2019 to 54.8 million at the end of 2020.
These figures come from the European Health and Fitness Market Report.
The total number of fitness clubs fell 1.4% in 2020 to 62,775.
Total health club revenue fell by almost a third, from a record level of €28.2 billion in 2019 to €18.9 billion in 2020.
In 2020, a year marked by the pandemic, the number of active memberships in European health clubs overall fell by around 10 million, or 15.4%.
As of December 2020, the total number of club, studio and gym memberships across the continent was 54.8 million, down significantly from 64.8 million in 2019.
These figures come from a European Health and Fitness Market Report compiled by Deloitte and published today (23 June) by industry body EuropeActive.
The report also shows that revenue fell by almost a third (32.9%) from a record level of €28.2 billion in 2019 to €18.9 billion in 2020. The top 15 European fitness operators achieved a combined revenue of €2.6 billion in 2020.
The total number of fitness clubs fell 1.4% to 62,775, a relatively small figure given that pandemic lockdowns forced clubs to close for 40-50% of their opening hours.
Among the report’s other key findings is that investor confidence in future growth opportunities in the fitness sector remains high.
This is evident from the significant investments that were made in 2020 across various segments of the fitness ecosystem, both online and offline, through established companies and startups.
“The majority of this investment is coming from large technology companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon,” the report said.
“Sixteen major M&A transactions involving a total of 854 clubs have been registered in 2020, with 505 clubs having changed ownership up to March.”
Commenting on the report, Andreas Poulsen, Executive Director at EuropeActive, said: “Over the past few years, our European Health & Fitness Market Report has been the gold standard for market research in the fitness and physical activity sector.
“Especially during these challenging and transformative times for our industry, we need reliable data to provide factual evidence of the impact of COVID-19 and, more importantly, the positive impact and significant influence our industry has had on communities across Europe.”
Huw Edwards, chief executive of ukactive, said: “This report shows the enormous damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted on our industry, following extended periods of closures across Europe.
“Lower revenues and declining membership numbers not only impact our industry, but have a significant impact on the wellbeing of our population, both in terms of their physical and mental health.
“With a renewed focus on public health and wellbeing across Europe, governments must seize the opportunity to support the growth of the fitness and leisure sector and its wider impact across society.”
For more information and to purchase the full report, click here.
