Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK - Market Research Report (2014-2029)
London, United Kingdom
Last Updated: September 2024
SIC R93.130Revenue
£2.8bn
Past 5-Year Growth
Profit
£XXX.Xm
Employees
49,155
Businesses
5,538
Wages
£XXX.Xm
Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry analysis
Over the five years through 2024-25, revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 1.7% to £2.8 billion, with revenue set to increase by 1.5% in 2024-25. The gym and fitness industry has significantly benefitted from heightened health consciousness, with a greater proportion of the population prioritising fitness for their physical and mental well-being. In 2023, budget gyms like The Gym Group and Pure Gym outperformed mid-market players due to flexible, low-cost memberships, reporting significant profit growth. The easing cost-of-living crisis in 2024-25 continues to support these gyms' success through ongoing refurbishments. Meanwhile, the return to office work, driven by employer mandates, has revitalised central city gyms, boosting foot traffic and revenue. The UK economy's increasing stability and improved consumer confidence also contribute to higher disposable incomes, enabling more people to afford gym memberships, with a notable upsurge in premium memberships benefiting high-end gyms like David Lloyd and Virgin Active.
Trends and Insights
- The return to office work is revitalising central city gyms. With employers mandating in-office attendance, foot traffic in city gyms is on the rise, driving membership growth and higher revenues due to premium pricing, benefiting gym owners.
- Social media is driving gym sign-ups among 16-24-year-olds. Despite lower disposable income, this age group gravitates toward budget gyms, influenced by platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where fitness inspiration and influencer aspirations are high.
- Gyms capitalise on London's demand for fitness venues. The city's high-income, health-conscious populace and scarcity of open spaces make it a goldmine for gym and fitness centre businesses.
- Gyms compete on price and offerings. Discounted fees and varied membership packages attract first-time gym-goers, while high-end facilities count on exceptional services to pull in customers.
Industry Overview
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.7 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £2.8bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
An awareness of the importance of physical health has spread
- Demand for gyms soared over the two years through 2019-20, driven by rising health consciousness among consumers, prompted by concerns over physical inactivity and associated ailments.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Rising awareness surrounding the role of exercise in enhancing wellbeing fuels growth
- According to UK Cancer Research, in 2022, 36% of adults in the UK (21 million) will be obese.
Biggest companies in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
David Lloyd Leisure Ltd | 687.2 | |
Pure Gym Ltd | 396.3 | |
Nuffield Health | 354.4 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 7 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Membership fees, Group fitness classes and Personal training. Membership fees is the largest segment of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK.
Trends and Insights
Membership fees have continued to increase as the cost of livng fades
- The primary source of revenue for gym operators comes from the sale of gym memberships. Traditionally, memberships have been offered on a fixed-term 12-month basis with a joining fee and are tiered according to the level of access.
- More insights available in the full report
Widen you competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
- Sports Clubs in the UK
- Pilates & Yoga Studios in the UK
Complementors
- Sports Facilities in the UK
- Personal Trainers in the UK
International industries
- Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs in the US
- Pilates & Yoga Studios in the US
- Health & Wellness Spas in the US
- Personal Trainers in the US
- Indoor Climbing Walls in the US
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Operators in this industry provide fitness and body-building clubs and facilities, specifically gyms and health clubs. These organisations typically provide services on a membership basis and benefits include the use of exercise equipment and weights, personal training, group classes and other club facilities.
What's included in this industry?
Membership feesPersonal trainingGroup fitness classesFood and drink salesCompanies
David Lloyd Leisure LtdPure Gym LtdNuffield HealthPurchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
MEMBERSHIP CHURNCARDIOYOGAIndustry Code
SIC 93.13 - Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
The return to office work is revitalising central city gyms. With employers mandating in-office attendance, foot traffic in city gyms is on the rise, driving membership growt...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Social media is driving gym sign-ups among 16-24-year-olds. Despite lower disposable income, this age group gravitates toward budget gyms, influenced by platforms like TikTok...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Gyms capitalise on London's demand for fitness venues. The city's high-income, health-conscious populace and scarcity of open spaces make it a goldmine for gym and fitness ce...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Gyms compete on price and offerings. Discounted fees and varied membership packages attract first-time gym-goers, while high-end facilities count on exceptional services to p...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
David Lloyd's smart acquisitions fuel growth and member satisfaction. In February 2023, acquiring Country Clubs expanded the portfolio, providing enhanced services and amenit...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of David Lloyd Leisure Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Pure Gym Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Nuffield Health's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for David Lloyd Leisure Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Pure Gym Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Nuffield Health, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Child Protection Policy is crucial in the industry. It safeguards children's welfare in gym environments, ensuring safe practices and prompt response to any conduct that migh...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Gyms are seeing increased profits due to stabilised costs and memberships. Both budget and premium gyms like The Gym Group and David Lloyd benefit from falling energy prices ...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2022)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2022)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2022)
- Assets (2018-2022)
- Liabilities (2018-2022)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the UK include:
- Office for National Statistics
- Office for Budget Responsibility
- Bank of England
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom in 2024?
The market size of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £2.8bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in 2024?
There are 5,538 businesses in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has grown at a CAGR of 8.6 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 1.7 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK market in United Kingdom?
The biggest companies operating in the Gyms & Fitness Centres market in United Kingdom are David Lloyd Leisure Ltd, Pure Gym Ltd and Nuffield Health
What does the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK in United Kingdom include?
Membership fees and Personal training are part of the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK in United Kingdom?
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is David Lloyd Leisure Ltd.
How competitive is the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Gyms & Fitness Centres in the UK industry in United Kingdom.
