Annual Participation Study
2026 SFIA Topline Participation Report
See How Americans Are Participating in Sports and Fitness
Track five years of participation trends across 126 sports, fitness, and leisure activities with SFIA’s most comprehensive annual overview of physical activity in the United States.
Free for SFIA members | $700 for non-members
Understand the State of Sports and Fitness Participation
Every year, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) publishes the Topline Participation Report, drawing from the largest single-source sports, fitness, and leisure activity participation study in the United States.
The 2026 report provides an authoritative view of how Americans participate in physical activity, from team sports and individual pursuits to fitness activities, outdoor recreation, and leisure activities. Five years of trend data help industry leaders understand which activities are growing, where participation is shifting, and how Americans’ relationship with physical activity continues to evolve.
For organizations making decisions about products, programming, investment, marketing, facilities, or participation growth, the Topline Report provides an essential industry-wide benchmark.
What You Will Learn
Use the report to:
Compare five-year participation trends across 126 sports, fitness, and leisure activities
Identify activities gaining or losing participants
Understand changes in overall physical activity and inactivity
Examine key trends within fitness activities and team sports
Place individual sports and activities within the broader U.S. participation landscape
Support strategic planning, market analysis, product development, and industry forecasting
Explore Americans’ aspirational participation interests
What the Report Covers
The 2026 Topline Participation Report includes:
Research methodology
Executive summary
Sports and activity participation in the United States
Inactivity levels in the United States
Aspirational participation
Fitness and team sports analysis
Topline participation trends from 2020–2025
A Record Share of Americans Were Active in 2025
The 2026 Topline Report examines another year of historically high sports and fitness participation, alongside continued shifts in how Americans choose to be active.
Participation Reached a New Record High
In 2025, 250 million Americans participated in at least one sport, fitness, or leisure activity, reflecting the continued strength of physical activity participation nationwide.
Teen Inactivity Moved Against the Trend
Inactivity declined across nearly every age group in 2025. Teens ages 13–17 were the only exception, with inactivity increasing 4.4% year over year.
Team Sports Surpassed 90 Million Participants
Team sports recorded the strongest year-over-year growth of any activity category, exceeding 90 million total participants for the first time.
Start With The 2026 Key Takeaways
Explore major findings from the 2026 Topline Participation Report, including the latest trends shaping sports, fitness, and physical activity in the United States.
2026 SFIA Topline Participation Report
Published | 2026
Data covered | 2020–2025
Activities tracked | 126
Geography | United States
Format | Digital Report
Member access | Complimentary
Built on Nearly 20 Years of Consistent Research
SFIA’s participation research is conducted as part of the Physical Activity Council, a collaboration of leading sports, fitness, and recreation organizations. Using a nationally representative online survey, the study gathers responses from more than 18,000 Americans ages 6+ each year.
The consistent methodology, maintained since 2007, allows organizations to examine long-term changes in sports and fitness participation with confidence.
→ Nationally representative online survey
→ 18,000+ Americans ages 6+ surveyed annually
→ 126 sports, fitness & leisure activities tracked
→ Consistent methodology maintained since 2007
Choosing the Right Report
Topline Trends or Sport-Specific Demographics?
The Topline Report is designed to compare participation trends across the full sports, fitness, and leisure landscape. It does not include the detailed demographic analysis available for individual activities. If you need participation broken down by age, gender, household income, region, frequency, or other demographic characteristics for a particular activity, explore SFIA’s Single Sport Participation Reports.
Purchase the 2026 Topline Report
Get the data you need to understand participation trends and make more informed decisions across the sports and fitness industry.
Stay informed with timely perspectives on participation trends, consumer behavior, policy developments, and the issues shaping sports and fitness.
Research report purchases are final and are not eligible for refund, return, or credit.
Free Resources
Download Key Takeaways
Report Access and Support
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After completing your order, you will receive an order confirmation and a separate email containing an access link for each report purchased. Emails are sent from info@sfia.org. Please add this address to your safe senders list.
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Check your spam or junk folder first. If the email has not arrived, contact our research team at research@sfia.org.
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Yes. The 2026 Topline Participation Report is available to SFIA members at no additional cost. Members should sign in before completing their order.
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Contact Alex Kerman, Head of Research, at akerman@sfia.org or 301-495-6321.
Related Research
Continue Exploring Participation Trends
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Midyear update
First Half Game Plan
Get a midyear update on participation trends across select sports and fitness activities.
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Business Intelligence
State of the Industry
See how participation impacts sports and fitness businesses with our State of our the Industry Report.