Last updated: October 12, 2026
The age group with the highest gym membership rate in America is not millennials or Gen X. It is 18- to 24-year-olds: 35.5% of them belonged to a gym, studio or other fitness facility in 2025, against 26.1% of the whole population aged 6 and older (Health & Fitness Association, April 2026). Overall, a record 81 million Americans were members. If you are a new member, you are in good company.
This page collects gym membership statistics from one primary source: the Health & Fitness Association (HFA), the industry trade body, and its annual survey of about 18,000 US residents aged 6 and up. We only used numbers we could check on HFA's own pages, and each one links to where we checked it. HFA sells the full report, so age breakdowns beyond the headline ones below are not public, and we have left them out rather than guess.
Key gym membership statistics
- 81 million Americans belonged to a fitness facility in 2025, an all-time high (HFA). Source
- 26.1% of people aged 6 and older were members in 2025. Source
- 35.5% of Gen Z adults (18 to 24) were members, the highest rate of any age group. Source
- 8.6% more members aged 65 and over than a year earlier, the fastest-growing group. Source
- 7 billion visits to fitness facilities in 2025, above the 2019 peak. Source
- 4.6% of members never used their membership, down from about 10%. Source
- 49.4% of members meet the federal aerobic guideline, versus 24.5% of non-users. Source
How Many People Have Gym Memberships in the US?
The HFA counted 81 million members of US gyms, studios and other fitness facilities in 2025, up 5.2% from 2024 and an all-time high (HFA press release, April 9, 2026). That is 26.1% of the population aged 6 and older (HFA, 2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report). Counting people who got in on day passes or guest access, more than 100 million used a facility.
The previous year's HFA report put 2024 membership at a then-record 77 million (HFA, October 2025).
| US fitness facility members | Members |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 77 million |
| 2025 | 81 million |
Source: Health & Fitness Association (2024 and 2025 data).
Gen Z Gym Membership: 18- to 24-Year-Olds Lead
The gen z gym story is the headline of the 2026 report. 35.5% of adults aged 18 to 24 were members in 2025, the highest penetration of any age group, nearly 10 points above the 26.1% national figure (HFA, 2026). HFA also reports that membership rose across all age groups, income brackets and genders, so this is not one cohort propping up the total.
| Gym membership rate, 2025 | Share who are members |
|---|---|
| All people aged 6+ | 26.1% |
| Gen Z adults (18-24) | 35.5% |
Source: Health & Fitness Association (2025 data). HFA publishes only the top rate and the overall rate publicly; the other age groups sit in the paid report.
Older Adults Are the Fastest-Growing Members
Members aged 65 and over grew 8.6% year over year, the fastest growth of any age group (HFA, 2026). That is well above the 5.2% growth in total members. The press release does not give the 65+ membership rate, so we cannot say how large that group is, only that it is growing quickest.
Gym Visits and Usage Statistics
Americans made an estimated 7 billion visits to fitness facilities in 2025, passing the pre-pandemic peak set in 2019 (HFA, 2026). For scale, HFA counted 5.9 billion visits in 2017 (HFA, March 2018).
The classic complaint about gym membership statistics is that people pay and never go. That is shrinking: the share of members who never used their membership fell from about 10% to 4.6%, an all-time low (HFA, 2026). HFA also notes 2025 had a decade-low industry churn rate, though it does not publish the figure on its public page (HFA). The flip side: 4.6% never showing up is still a few million people paying for nothing, and "used it at least once" is a low bar. Visits per member is not in the public data.
Do Members Move More? Activity Levels
49.4% of members meet or exceed federal aerobic guidelines, versus 24.5% of non-users. Only 4.7% of members report no weekly physical activity, against 33.1% of non-users (HFA, 2026).
| Activity levels, 2025 | Members | Non-users |
|---|---|---|
| Meet federal aerobic guideline | 49.4% | 24.5% |
| No weekly physical activity | 4.7% | 33.1% |
Source: Health & Fitness Association (2025 data, self-reported survey).
Read this with care. It is a survey, and it shows association, not cause: active people are more likely to join a gym in the first place.
What Members Are Doing: Yoga and Pickleball
Two activities stand out in the 2026 release. Pickleball reached 7.6 million members, up 21.3%, and yoga had 17.7 million (HFA, 2026). Gym membership is not only about weights.
Benefits and Downsides of the Membership Boom
The upside is clear in the data: more people have a place to train, members are far less likely to be inactive, and use of memberships is rising. A younger crowd joining also means more people starting resistance training early, which pays off for decades.
The caveats are just as real. A membership is a purchase, not a habit, and the data counts who belongs, not how often they go or whether they improve. The 4.6% who never used it and the many who go irregularly are the ones who benefit least. Gyms cost money, so a national rise does not mean everyone has equal access. And new members, especially young ones, often jump in with no plan, which is how people stall or get hurt. A simple routine fixes most of that. Our guide to progressive overload explains how to add weight or reps steadily, and the squat, bench press and lat pulldown pages show good form for the basics.
What the Numbers Mean for You
- Pick a number to aim for. The how strong am I calculator and one rep max calculator give new lifters a starting point.
- Write sessions down. A weight training journal or the free weight training log template keeps week three from feeling like week one.
- Not sure what is holding you back? Take the what's blocking your gains quiz. For related numbers, see our strength training statistics and fitness app statistics.
We build GymGod, a workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch, for people who want a new membership to turn into a habit. It can give you a routine that stays consistent so you can progressively overload instead of starting over, and its auto-progression works out your next weight from what you actually lifted. Your first 3 workouts are free, with no account needed. See the features.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people have gym memberships in the US?
A record 81 million Americans belonged to a gym, studio or other fitness facility in 2025, which is 26.1% of people aged 6 and older (Health & Fitness Association). Over 100 million used a facility once day passes and guest access are counted.
Which age group has the highest gym membership rate?
Gen Z adults aged 18 to 24, at 35.5% in 2025 (Health & Fitness Association).
Which age group is growing fastest in gyms?
Members aged 65 and over, up 8.6% year over year in 2025, the fastest of any age group (Health & Fitness Association).
How many gym members never use their membership?
4.6% in 2025, an all-time low and down from about 10% (Health & Fitness Association).
How many gym visits happen each year in the US?
An estimated 7 billion in 2025, above the 2019 pre-pandemic peak (Health & Fitness Association).
Cite this page
Feel free to quote any number on this page. Please link back:
Source: GymGod, "Gym Membership Statistics 2026: Gen Z Has the Highest Rate, at 35.5%", https://gymgod.app/blog/gym-membership-statistics.html (October 12, 2026)
<a href="https://gymgod.app/blog/gym-membership-statistics.html">GymGod: Gym Membership Statistics 2026: Gen Z Has the Highest Rate, at 35.5%</a>
Please also cite the original source listed below for any individual number.
Sources
- Health & Fitness Association, "81 Million Americans Were Members of a Fitness Facility in 2025, New HFA Report Finds," press release, April 9, 2026. https://www.healthandfitness.org/81-million-americans-were-members-of-a-fitness-facility-in-2025-new-hfa-report-finds/
- Health & Fitness Association, "2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report: Headline Trends." https://www.healthandfitness.org/2026-us-health-fitness-consumer-report
- Health & Fitness Association, "New HFA Data Shows How 77 Million US Fitness Facility Members Work Out," October 30, 2025. https://www.healthandfitness.org/new-hfa-data-shows-how-77-million-us-fitness-facility-members-work-out
- Health & Fitness Association (IHRSA), "US Health Club and Studio Memberships Increase to Record 77 Million" (2017 data), March 16, 2018. https://www.healthandfitness.org/improve-your-club/industry-news/us-health-club-and-studio-memberships-increase-to-record-77-million
