Pickleball Tops the Fastest-Growing Sports List: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) released its 2024 Topline Participation Report, highlighting a significant rise in sports and fitness engagement across the United States. For the fourth consecutive year, pickleball remains the fastest-growing sport, with 19.8 million Americans participating in 2024—a staggering 45.8% increase from the previous year.
Record Participation in Sports and Fitness
The report marks a historic milestone, with 80% of Americans engaging in at least one physical activity in 2024. This represents an increase of 5.1 million participants from 2023, bringing the total to 247.1 million active Americans.
Since 2019, the number of physically active individuals has grown by 25.4 million, demonstrating a nationwide shift toward healthier lifestyles.
Pickleball Leads Growth in Racquet Sports
Pickleball’s continued surge in popularity has contributed to a broader increase in racquet sports participation, which grew by 9.4% in 2024. Tennis followed closely behind, recording an 8% rise in participation, making it the second-fastest-growing sport in the category.
The rapid expansion of pickleball has driven the sport’s total growth by 311% over the past three years, cementing its status as a dominant force in recreational and competitive play.
Team Sports and Olympic Sports on the Rise
Team sports also saw substantial gains, with 20 out of 24 reporting increased participation. Wrestling led the category with an 8.6% rise, while basketball, football, gymnastics, and softball all saw growth of over 7%. The momentum in team sports reflects a resurgence in group-based physical activities.
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris also played a role in boosting participation in Olympic sports. Gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, and track and field all experienced notable growth, with wrestling seeing the highest increase among team sports.
Fitness and Outdoor Activities See Sustained Growth
Fitness activities saw a strong rebound, with class-based workouts recording their best year since 2020. Strength training participation increased across all categories for the first time since the pandemic, while running, jogging, and hiking surpassed 50 million participants for the first time in four years.
Outdoor activities, including trail running and snowboarding, continued their long-term growth trends, reflecting an ongoing interest in structured and recreational fitness.
Impact of Increased Participation
The SFIA report underscores the importance of accessible sports and fitness opportunities in maintaining a healthy population. However, it also highlights disparities in participation rates based on income.
Individuals earning under $25,000 per year are nearly three times more likely to be inactive than those earning over $100,000 annually. Addressing these gaps will be a key challenge for the sports and fitness industry moving forward.
News in Brief: Pickleball Tops the Fastest-Growing Sports List
The SFIA 2024 Topline Participation Report shows a record 80% of Americans engaged in at least one physical activity in 2024, with pickleball leading as the fastest-growing sport. Pickleball participation reached 19.8 million pickleball players, a 45.8% increase from 2023. Racquet sports, team sports, and fitness activities all saw growth, reflecting a national shift toward active lifestyles.
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