Stat: UK gym market hits record as Gen Z fuel sign-ups

UK – The UK gym market reached a record valuation of £5.7bn ($7.6bn, €6.6bn) in 2024, up 8.8% year on year, according to UKactive’s latest report. One in six Britons aged 16+ (11.5m people) are now gym members. With nearly 600m club visits annually, the UK ranks among Europe’s top-performing fitness sectors.

Gen Z are driving this growth and they are mainly joining to improve their overall confidence.

Among all respondents, 76% cited mental wellbeing as a key reason for belonging to a gym. ‘This report shows our sector contributing significantly to economic growth, population health and social impact,’ said UKactive’s CEO Huw Edwards.

Budget gyms (PureGym, The Gym Group) and premium brands (Third Space, David Lloyd) reported gains, while investor activity surged with seven major merger and acquisitions, the most since 2020.

As group classes, social spaces and hybrid training models expand, the gym is evolving from a workout space into a lifestyle hub – offering new opportunities for brand engagement.

Read more about the consumer behaviour driving the global fitness boom in our Longevity Lifestyles macrotrend report.