Global fitness industry revenues grew 10.7% in 2025, driven by a 6.1% increase in net membership and a median EBITDA margin of 22.1%, according to the newly released 2026 HFA Global Report by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA).
The findings, derived from a survey of 244 operators representing nearly 27,000 facilities, highlight sustained momentum across key markets despite broader economic headwinds—including rising energy costs, potential new tariffs, inflation, and rapid structural shifts driven by artificial intelligence.
Regional Market Performance
United States: U.S. club memberships reached an all-time high of 81 million in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of post-pandemic growth and achieving a 26.1% penetration rate among populations aged six and older. Including pay-per-visit users, the U.S. consumer base surpassed 100 million, generating nearly 7 billion total visits—exceeding pre-pandemic records set in 2019.
Europe: The European fitness market logged 75.5 million members across 67,515 clubs, generating €39.1 billion ($45.1 billion) in revenue for 2025. Total membership grew 5.8% year-over-year, while total revenues expanded by 8.9%.
Latin America Emerges as Key Growth Frontier
The report highlights Latin America as one of the fastest-growing regions for fitness expansion, noting an average penetration rate of 6.3% across Spanish-speaking markets in 2024.
Brazil: Leading the region in overall scale, Brazil reported 45,589 facilities, 14.7 million members, and a 7% market penetration rate in 2024. Total market revenue reached 2.97billion(R16.61 billion)—nearly tripling the $990 million generated in 2020.
Broader Regional Breakdown (2024 Data):
Mexico: 20,642 facilities | 7.2M consumers | 5.6% penetration
Argentina: 8,662 facilities | 3.6M consumers | 7.8% penetration
Colombia: 7,940 facilities | 3.6M consumers | 6.9% penetration
Peru: 4,026 facilities | 2.1M consumers | 6.0% penetration
Chile: 2,089 facilities | 1.1M consumers | 5.3% penetration
Uruguay: 830 facilities | ~216,000 consumers | 6.2% penetration
Low-cost giant Smart Fit capped off 2025 with 2,082 locations, over 5.2 million members, and a footprint spanning 15 countries. Other regional players scaled aggressively: Panobianco surpassed 400 locations, while Skyfit reached 310. The report also highlights international expansion moves into North American and European markets by Latin American operators such as Panobianco, Impulso, Action Black, and Pratique, alongside major regional contributions from BIGG, Bodytech, and Station 24.
M&A and Investment Activity
Mergers and acquisitions inside the sector remained strong throughout 2025. According to data provided by Houlihan Lokey, the sector closed 102 transactions valued at a combined $3.2 billion.
Notable transactions included the acquisition of E6S at an enterprise valuation of approximately $1.5 billion (including debt), as well as a major recapitalization of Crunch Fitness, pushing the franchise’s valuation past the $1.5 billion mark.
The 2026 HFA Global Report aggregates internal data from the HFA—which represents more than 200,000 facilities and studios worldwide—alongside national federation reports, public disclosures, and an operator survey conducted between February and June 2026. Global metrics reflect 2025 performance, while regional data points for Latin American countries reflect 2024 reporting.
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