Padel Statistics 2026: Players, Courts, Clubs and Global Growth
The latest padel statistics from FIP, Playtomic, Strategy& and the LTA, with clear explanations of why global estimates differ.
StatisticsBy PadelFormat Editorial TeamPublished Updated 9 min read
Quick answer
TL;DR
- FIP reported 38 million players, 85,000 courts and 27,000 clubs in June 2026.
- Padel is played across 178 countries and territories, supported by 100 FIP-affiliated federations.
- FIP says almost half of the global player base is female.
- The World Padel Report 2026 gives a more conservative estimate of 19.4 million players and 58,334 courts at the end of 2025.
- FIP measured 15.2% court growth during 2025. Playtomic and Strategy& measured 16%.
- Britain reached one million annual padel participants in May 2026, up from 15,000 in 2019.
- PadelFormat labels every figure by source, reporting period and counting method because global totals are not directly comparable.
38 million
Players
85,000
Courts
27,000
Clubs
178
Countries and territories
100
FIP federations
FIP snapshot, 23 June 2026
On this page
Padel statistics at a glance
| Metric | Latest broad FIP estimate | World Padel Report estimate | Reporting period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 38 million | 19.4 million | June 2026 for FIP, end of 2025 for World Padel Report |
| Courts | 85,000 | 58,334 | June 2026 for FIP, end of 2025 for World Padel Report |
| Clubs | 27,000 | No comparable headline total | June 2026 for FIP |
| Countries and territories | 178 | Not stated in the headline dataset | June 2026 for FIP |
| Affiliated national federations | 100 | 850,000 or more federated players | June 2026 for FIP, end of 2025 for World Padel Report |
| Female share of players | Almost half | Not stated in the headline dataset | June 2026 for FIP |
Sources: FIP’s June 2026 global snapshot and the World Padel Report 2026.
These figures are not a scorecard showing which publisher is right. The sources use different cut-off dates, definitions and data collection systems.
How many people play padel worldwide in 2026?
The broadest current estimate is 38 million players worldwide. FIP published that figure on 23 June 2026 and reported participation across 178 countries and territories.
The World Padel Report 2026, using data from Playtomic and Strategy&, estimates more than 19.4 million players at the end of 2025. Its market analysis combines proprietary platform data with information from court manufacturers, FIP and other industry sources.
The FIP estimate is about 96% higher than the World Padel Report estimate. That does not prove that one figure is wrong. A person who played once during the year, a weekly player and a registered federation member can all be treated differently depending on the study.
For readers asking for one simple number, 38 million is the newest governing-body estimate. For commercial market analysis, 19.4 million is the more conservative figure.
Why do global padel statistics disagree?
Global padel totals disagree because there is no live worldwide census of every player, court and club. Each publisher works with a different reporting network.
| Source | What it measures | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| FIP | Federation surveys, affiliated bodies, competition records and broad global participation estimates | Understanding the sport's worldwide reach and governance |
| World Padel Report | Playtomic platform data, court manufacturers, FIP data and structured market analysis | Studying the tracked commercial market and club sector |
| National federations | Participation studies, registered venues, members and national facility counts | Understanding a specific country |
| Booking platforms | Bookings, registered users, court supply and activity on their systems | Measuring behaviour inside the platform's coverage |
PadelFormat uses a Source, Period, Method rule for padel data.
Every figure should answer three questions:
- Source: Who published it?
- Period: What date or year does it cover?
- Method: What type of player, court or club was counted?
A statistic without these labels can sound precise while giving the reader the wrong impression. This three-part rule is used throughout this page and in the downloadable source table.
How many padel courts are there worldwide?
FIP reported 85,000 courts worldwide in June 2026. Six months earlier, the FIP World Padel Report 2025 reported 77,300 courts.
The difference between those snapshots is 7,700 courts, or about 10%. It should not be read as a verified construction total for six months. New construction, better reporting and wider federation coverage may all affect the newer figure.
The World Padel Report counted 58,334 courts at the end of 2025. That is 26,666 fewer courts than FIP’s June 2026 figure. The FIP total is about 46% higher.
The size of that gap is another reason to state the publisher and date whenever quoting a global court total.
How many padel clubs are there worldwide?
FIP’s latest estimate is 27,000 padel clubs worldwide. Its previous report counted more than 24,600 clubs at the end of 2025 after 4,775 clubs were added to its dataset during the year.
The difference between the two FIP snapshots is about 2,400 clubs, or 9.8%. As with court totals, changes in reporting coverage may form part of that increase.
The World Padel Report recorded 4,969 new clubs during 2025. Its public headline dataset focuses more heavily on court supply, federated players and club economics, so its club figures should not be merged with FIP’s total.
How fast did padel grow during 2025?
Both major reports measured global court growth at close to 16% during 2025.
| Publisher | Court growth during 2025 |
|---|---|
| FIP | 15.2% |
| Playtomic and Strategy& | 16% |
- 15.2% growth in courts
- 16.1% growth in clubs
- 42% growth in members registered with national federations
- 14,355 courts added to its dataset
- 4,775 clubs added to its dataset
- FIP-organised tournaments rising from 182 in 2024 to 290 in 2025
The increase from 182 to 290 tournaments equals 59.3%, based on a PadelFormat calculation.
The World Padel Report reported:
- 16% year-on-year court growth
- 7,898 courts added during 2025
- 4,969 clubs added during 2025
- About six times as many courts as in 2016
- More than 850,000 federated players
Which country shows how quickly padel can grow?
Britain provides one of the clearest current examples because the LTA has published a consistent participation series.
| Period | Annual padel participants in Britain |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 15,000 |
| 2023 | 129,000 |
| 2024 | 400,000 |
| 2025 | 860,000 |
| May 2026 milestone | 1,000,000 |
The LTA reported one million adults and juniors playing padel by May 2026. That figure refers to people who played, not federation members or weekly players.
PadelFormat calculations based on the LTA series show:
- Participation grew 66.7 times between 2019 and May 2026.
- That represents an increase of about 6,567%.
- Participation rose 115% from 400,000 in 2024 to 860,000 in 2025.
- Britain had 1,825 courts across 551 venues by May 2026.
- The court count grew from 69 in 2020 to 1,825 in May 2026.
- That is a 26.4-fold increase, or about 2,545%.
Tom Murray, LTA Head of Padel, described the milestone in direct terms: “Padel’s momentum is here to stay.”
The LTA also reported that an estimated two-thirds of Britain’s one million padel players participate in tennis. That crossover helps explain why tennis venues are a major route for padel expansion.
How many women play padel?
Almost half of the global padel player base is female, according to FIP’s June 2026 update. Applied loosely to FIP’s 38 million estimate, that points to a female player base approaching 19 million.
FIP did not provide an exact percentage or an exact female-player total in that update. “Almost half” should not be presented as a precise 50% measurement.
The share matters because padel participation is far more gender-balanced than old stereotypes about racket sports may suggest. It also gives clubs a clear reason to plan equal access to court time, coaching, competitions and community sessions.
How global is professional and junior padel?
FIP’s June 2026 snapshot described a competition pyramid containing more than 700 tournaments worldwide.
It also reported:
- More than 12,000 players in the FIP ranking
- Ranked players from more than 120 countries
- 160 FIP Promises youth tournaments planned for 2026
- 4,750 junior players taking part during the first half of 2026
- Expected full-year junior participation of 8,000 to 9,000 players
The total of more than 700 tournaments covers a broad competition pyramid. The earlier figure of 290 refers specifically to FIP-organised tournaments in 2025. The numbers describe different competition scopes and should not be treated as conflicting totals.
Is padel really the world’s fastest-growing sport?
Padel is clearly growing quickly, but there is no single neutral dataset comparing every sport under the same participation definition.
FIP describes padel as one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. The strongest measurable evidence is the 15.2% to 16% global court growth recorded for 2025, plus national results such as Britain’s rise from 15,000 to one million participants between 2019 and 2026.
It is safer to say that padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports than to claim a proven number-one position across every sport.
Is padel an Olympic sport?
Padel is not part of the Olympic Games programme as of 17 August 2026.
It is already included in several major multi-sport events. FIP lists the European Games, South American Games, Asian Games, Mediterranean Games, African Games and FISU University Championships.
Olympic inclusion remains a goal for FIP, but no confirmed Olympic debut should be published until it is announced by the International Olympic Committee and the relevant organising committee.
What do these statistics mean for players and clubs?
For players, global expansion means a better chance of finding courts, coaching and organised competitions. Access still varies sharply by country and city.
For clubs, a rising court count does not guarantee a successful business. The World Padel Report groups countries by market maturity and notes that some established markets have faced excess supply. Local demand, indoor coverage, court use, pricing and player retention matter more than the global headline.
For coaches and competition organisers, the increase in registered players and junior tournaments points to demand for structured development. Social formats can help new players move from a first booking into regular participation.
For journalists and researchers, the central lesson is simple. Never quote a global padel total without its publisher, date and definition.
How we check and update this page
How we check the numbers
PadelFormat follows these rules when maintaining this statistics page:
- We prefer governing bodies and first-party research.
- We link directly to the source of each major number.
- We do not merge totals created with different methods.
- We label PadelFormat calculations as calculations.
- We distinguish historical data from forecasts.
- We state when a publisher has not supplied an exact definition.
- We review the page when FIP, the World Padel Report or a relevant national federation releases new data.
- We conduct a full source check at least once every quarter.
Editors, clubs and researchers may cite this page as:
PadelFormat, “Padel Statistics 2026: Players, Courts, Clubs and Global Growth,” updated 17 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people play padel worldwide in 2026?
- FIP estimates that 38 million people play padel across 178 countries and territories. The World Padel Report gives a more conservative estimate of 19.4 million players at the end of 2025. The difference comes from reporting dates and counting methods.
- How many padel courts are there worldwide?
- FIP reported 85,000 courts in June 2026. The World Padel Report counted 58,334 courts at the end of 2025. Both figures should always be quoted with their publisher and reporting period.
- How many padel clubs are there worldwide?
- FIP estimates that there are 27,000 padel clubs worldwide. Its previous report counted more than 24,600 clubs at the end of 2025.
- How many countries play padel?
- FIP reported padel activity across 178 countries and territories in June 2026. The sport is represented by 100 affiliated national federations across five continents.
- What percentage of padel players are women?
- FIP says almost half of all padel players are women. It did not publish an exact percentage in its June 2026 snapshot, so this should not be converted into a precise total.
- How quickly is padel growing?
- FIP measured global court growth of 15.2% during 2025. Playtomic and Strategy& measured 16% growth over the same year. Britain's annual participation grew from 15,000 in 2019 to one million by May 2026.
- Why are some padel statistics so different?
- Publishers use different definitions, reporting periods and data sources. One report may count anyone who played during the year, while another may estimate regular active players or registered federation members.
- Is padel in the Olympics?
- No. Padel is not currently part of the Olympic Games programme. It is included in several other international multi-sport competitions, and FIP is pursuing future Olympic recognition.
Sources
- FIP global snapshot, 23 June 2026
- FIP World Padel Report 2025 release
- World Padel Report 2026
- LTA reaches one million padel players in Britain
- LTA 2025 participation and court figures
Related reading
- UK padel statistics
Britain has passed one million padel players and 1,825 courts. These statistics show how fast participation and supply grew, where the gaps remain and why some official totals disagree.
- US padel statistics
More than one million Americans played padel in 2025, but fewer than one in four played eight times. These statistics explain the player numbers, court shortage, state hotspots, prices and forecasts.
- History of padel
Padel started on a 20 × 10 metre enclosed court in Acapulco in 1969. This timeline tracks how it grew through Spain, Argentina, FIP and the professional game.