The most complete study of the Portuguese fitness market in 2026: 1,282 gyms, 780 thousand members, 345M EUR in revenue, with 15 charts and 27 sources.
Tomás JorgeTomás JorgeIn 2024, the Portuguese fitness market surpassed every pre-pandemic indicator for the first time: 1,282 operating fitness centres, 780 thousand active members, 345 million euros in revenue and a population penetration rate of 7.6%. Yet in the same year, Portugal remained the European Union country with the worst regular sports participation rate, with 73% of adults stating they never exercise or practise sport.
The data comes from 27 verified public sources (AGAP, INE, DGS, WHO, Eurobarometer, EuropeActive + Deloitte and others), with 15 charts and over 130 individual statistics. The methodology explains sources, scope and known limitations, and the CSV with all data lets you download and cite directly.
In 2024, the latest year with consolidated data, Portugal had 1,282 operating fitness centres, an all-time record (+21.4% vs 2023). The number has been growing continuously since the post-pandemic recovery. Source: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024.
The average monthly fee in 2024 was 37.69 EUR per month (including VAT). By segment: Low-Cost 20.90 EUR, Mid-Market 37.60 EUR, Premium 103.70 EUR. The average fee rose from 34.09 EUR in 2023 to 37.69 EUR in 2024, the first significant increase in five years. Source: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024.
780,130 active members in 2024 (penetration rate of 7.6% of the Portuguese population), still below the European average of 8.4%. In terms of frequency, each member attends the gym on average 2.3 times per week. Source: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024.
By number of clubs, Fitness UP (more than 50) and Fitness Hut (42 clubs in Portugal, part of the VivaGym group with 91 clubs across Iberia). By economic group, Sonae Capital is the largest Portuguese operator, with 36 clubs across the Solinca, Pump and Element brands.
Only 23.2% of the population aged 18 to 69 practises sport regularly (5 or more times per week), according to the INE's Survey on Adult Education and Training. 73% of Portuguese adults never exercise or practise sport, the worst rate among the 27 European Union countries (Eurobarometer 525, 2022).
About 900 million euros per year to the SNS (DGS estimate, based on the premise that half of the Portuguese population is physically inactive). When indirect costs are included (absenteeism and presenteeism in the economy), the total cost rises to 1,569 million euros per year according to Deloitte. Obesity represents additional direct costs of 1,200 million euros per year.
345 million euros in 2024 (excluding VAT), a growth of +27.6% vs 2023 and the highest value ever recorded in Portugal. 75% of revenue comes from membership fees, 17% from Personal Training, 6% from other revenue, and 2% from nutrition consultations.
There is no specific official census for PTs. The closest figures: 10,528 FTE instructors in the fitness sector (AGAP 2024) and 27,593 sports coaches registered with the IPDJ (INE 2024, including PTs and federated coaches across disciplines). Most active PTs operate with an IPDJ TPTEF licence, valid for five years.
Keep reading
Average price of a personal trainer session in Portugal in 2026, variation by city and format, and what the PT keeps after commissions and taxes.
Step-by-step guide to becoming a personal trainer in Portugal in 2026: course, TPTEF licence, opening activity, first clients and where to work.
Comparison of the main gym chains in Lisbon in 2026, with monthly prices, contract lock-in, number of clubs and what each one offers.
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For those who want only the essential numbers, the ten datapoints that best characterise the state of the sector in 2026:
| # | Indicator | Value 2024 | Change / Comparison | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fitness centres operating in Portugal | 1,282 | all-time record, +21.4% vs 2023 | AGAP Barómetro 2024 |
| 2 | Active gym members | 780,130 | +10.1% vs 2023 | AGAP 2024 |
| 3 | Sector revenue (excluding VAT) | €345M | +27.6% vs 2023 | AGAP 2024 |
| 4 | Population penetration rate | 7.6% | European avg 8.4% |
2024 marks the first time since 2019 that all the structural indicators of the market surpass pre-pandemic values. Across four central metrics (number of clubs, number of members, revenue volume and penetration rate) the sector is stronger than at any historical point documented by AGAP.
The number of fitness centres reached 1,282 in 2024, a growth of 21.4% vs 2023 (1,056 clubs) and of 16.5% vs the 2019 peak (1,100 clubs). The recovery was fast: in 2020 and 2021 the market fell to 800 clubs due to pandemic closures; in 2022 it began rebuilding with 880; in 2023 it stabilised around 1,000; in 2024 it took a significant leap.
| ano | valor |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1000 |
| 2019 | 1100 |
| 2020 | 800 |
| 2021 | 800 |
| 2022 | 880 |
| 2023 | 1056 |
| 2024 | 1282 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
The number of active gym members followed a similar trajectory. In 2024 it reached 780,130, a growth of 10.1% vs 2023 and of 13.4% vs the 2019 peak (688,210). It is worth noting that the number of members had already surpassed the pre-pandemic peak in 2022 (691,656), so the recovery of members preceded the recovery of the number of clubs.
| ano | valor |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 592834 |
| 2019 | 688210 |
| 2020 | 491355 |
| 2021 | 465600 |
| 2022 | 691656 |
| 2023 | 708568 |
| 2024 | 780130 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
Total sector revenue, excluding VAT, reached 345 million EUR in 2024, compared to 270 million EUR in 2023 (+27.6%) and 289 million EUR in 2019 (previous peak). 90% of the clubs surveyed by AGAP in 2024 reported a revenue increase compared to the previous year, with 63% recording increases above 5%. Expectations for 2025 remain optimistic: 92% of clubs expect to increase revenue.
| ano | valor |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 264 |
| 2019 | 289 |
| 2020 | 167 |
| 2021 | 165 |
| 2022 | 229 |
| 2023 | 270 |
| 2024 | 345 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
The fitness penetration rate in the Portuguese population, calculated as active members over total population, rose from 6.9% in 2023 to 7.6% in 2024. It is the second consecutive year of convergence towards the European average of 8.4% (EuropeActive 2024), but the gap of 0.8 percentage points still means that approximately 80 thousand additional members are needed for Portugal to reach the EU average.
To place this growth in a broader perspective, the European health and fitness market is worth approximately 36 billion EUR in 2024 according to EuropeActive and Deloitte, and is growing steadily despite inflationary pressures and the residual impact of the pandemic. Portugal represents about 1% of this European market, slightly below its demographic weight (Portugal has around 2.3% of the EU population). In 2024, the European sector recorded 30 M&A transactions involving over 669 clubs in 14 countries, including Portugal through acquisitions by VivaGym and the Basic-Fit / Clever Fit movement.
| ano | valor |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 5.8 |
| 2019 | 6.7 |
| 2020 | 4.8 |
| 2021 | 4.5 |
| 2022 | 6.7 |
| 2023 | 6.9 |
| 2024 | 7.6 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro 2024 + EuropeActive 2024
An important technical note for those cross-referencing these numbers with business databases: AGAP counts operating fitness centres (1,282 in 2024). Contribuinte.pt and Racius list approximately 2,796 companies registered with CAE 93130 (Gym and fitness activities) in Portugal. The difference is explained by companies operating multiple units, companies registered but inactive, and small studios that are not part of the AGAP circuit. The AGAP figure is more accurate for the operational fitness market; the CAE 93130 figure is more useful for business and fiscal analysis.
The composition of the market by operator type remained stable in 2024: 60% of units belong to chains and 40% are independent clubs. The trend has been consolidating since 2018 and was not altered by the pandemic. Within chains, the detailed numbers are informative: 37% of the market belongs to large chains (more than 14 units each) and 23% to small chains (fewer than 9 units each). Franchising represents 11.9% of the total, with 50 franchised clubs in 2024 (vs 47 in 2023).
The classification of economic activity also illuminates the structure: 77% of clubs operate under CAE 93130 (Gym and fitness activities), the sector's official code. The remaining 23% use adjacent CAEs: 12.4% with CAE 96040 (physical wellbeing activities, common in pilates and yoga studios), 7.1% with CAE 93110 (sports facility management), 2.9% with CAE 93192 (other sports activities) and the rest distributed between human health and associative codes.
In terms of physical size, 26% of clubs have an area above 1,500 m², 22% between 1,000 and 1,499 m², 16% between 500 and 999 m², 19% between 200 and 499 m², and 17% below 200 m². The historical trend since 2018 is polarisation: very small clubs (under 200 m²) and very large clubs (above 1,500 m²) are growing; the middle band is losing share. This reflects two parallel movements: the emergence of neighbourhood boutique studios and the consolidation of large premium chains.
| dimensao | cadeias | individuais |
|---|---|---|
| Nº de clubes | 60 | 40 |
| Nº de sócios | 67 | 33 |
| Faturação | 68 | 32 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024 (members and revenue calculated from average weights)
Market consolidation by economic group became one of the structural themes of 2024. The largest operators by number of clubs in Portugal:
Fitness UP remains the chain with the broadest geographic footprint in Portugal: more than 50 gyms distributed across the country, in the mid-market low-cost segment.
Fitness Hut, now integrated into the VivaGym group after the 2023 acquisition, operates 42 clubs in Portugal. The VivaGym group totals 91 clubs across Iberia (42 PT + 49 ES) after the acquisition of the Spanish chain Duet Fit, and doubled in size in the second half of 2024 with the acquisition of 113 additional units. The announced plan is to open another 100 clubs by 2029.
Solinca, owned by Sonae Capital, has 36 clubs in Portugal and more than 110,000 active members. Sonae Capital also operates the Pump and Element brands (low-cost), totalling 36 clubs across the three brands. In February 2025, a French fund paid 17 million euros to acquire 3 Solinca gyms in Lisbon and Porto, signalling foreign investor interest in the sector.
Element Gyms, launched by Sonae Capital in 2020 in the low-cost segment (monthly fee at 2.99 EUR/week, no lock-in), operates 14 clubs in Portugal with the plan to reach 70 by 2027. It is the paradigmatic case of low-cost expansion in the Portuguese market.
Holmes Place operates around 11 clubs in the Lisbon area (plus Cascais and Albufeira), in the premium segment.
Phive Health & Fitness Centers operates 5 or more clubs in Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Leiria, also in the premium segment. The network's largest club is in Porto, with six group class studios, a 1,000 m² weights room, two heated pools, a spa and a specialised clinic.
| cadeia | clubes |
|---|---|
| Fitness UP | 50 |
| Fitness Hut (VivaGym) | 42 |
| Solinca (Sonae) | 36 |
| Element (Sonae) | 14 |
| Holmes Place (área Lisboa) | 11 |
| Phive | 5 |
Fonte: Official chain websites, verified 2026-05-13
Other relevant chains with a smaller geographic footprint include Lemonfit, Be-Fit, GCP (Ginásio Clube Português, founded in 1875 and the oldest operating gym in Portugal), Pump Fitness and Magic Form (EMS).
One operator notable for its absence: Basic-Fit, European low-cost leader with a plan to reach 1,500 clubs in 2025, still does not operate in Portugal in 2026. Its entry is considered likely within the next 2 to 3 years, as reported by several European sector publications.
Mid-Market continues to dominate the market across all three criteria analysed by AGAP: it represents 73.5% of the number of clubs, 85.1% of members and 84.8% of revenue. It is the band where Holmes Place, Fitness UP, Phive and Solinca operate, and where the average monthly fee sits between 27 EUR and 50 EUR.
Low-Cost has 13.8% of clubs but only 6.7% of members, which reflects that these clubs operate with lower average capacity (or are in a recent expansion phase, like Element). The segment's average monthly fee is around 20 EUR.
Premium represents 12.7% of clubs, 8.5% of members and 12.7% of revenue. It is a segment with loyal clientele and a high monthly fee (historical average of 93.80 EUR, with ceilings above 110 EUR at clubs such as Holmes Place).
| segmento | valor |
|---|---|
| Mid-Market | 73.5 |
| Low-Cost | 13.8 |
| Premium | 12.7 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
In absolute terms, the average monthly fees by segment in 2024:
| segmento | valor |
|---|---|
| Low-Cost | 20.9 |
| Mid-Market | 37.6 |
| Premium | 103.7 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
The overall average monthly fee rose from 34.09 EUR in 2023 to 37.69 EUR in 2024 (+10.6%), the first significant increase in five years. AGAP partly attributes this rise to member movement between segments: some Mid-Market members migrated to Premium, pulling the overall average up.
The top 4 services offered by Portuguese gyms have remained stable since 2016: cardiovascular equipment (86%), strength machines (83%), functional training area (80%) and group classes (79%). All grew slightly compared to 2023.
The category that has grown the most in representation over the last year is digital offering: 55% of gyms in Portugal now have their own app, 30% offer live streaming classes, 28% have pre-recorded on-demand classes and 15% have virtual classes within the gym space.
Wellbeing services have a meaningful presence but are far from universal: 35% of gyms offer mindfulness classes (yoga, meditation), 18% have sauna or steam room, 17% have a swimming pool, 12% have a spa wellness area.
Integrated Wearable Fitness Technology (synchronisation with smartwatches, activity bands, etc.) is present in only 5% of gyms. It is one of the areas with the greatest short-term expansion potential, especially in the premium segment.
| servico | valor |
|---|---|
| Equipamento cardio | 86 |
| Máquinas de musculação | 83 |
| Treino funcional | 80 |
| Aulas de grupo | 79 |
| Apps próprias | 55 |
| Crosstraining | 37 |
| Atividades p/ crianças | 37 |
| Mindfulness (yoga) | 35 |
| Aulas live streaming | 30 |
| Aulas on-demand | 28 |
| Sauna / banho turco | 18 |
| Piscina | 17 |
| Aulas virtuais | 15 |
| Aulas outdoor | 14.2 |
| Spa wellness | 12 |
| WFT integrada | 5 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
The revenue structure of Portuguese gyms remained relatively stable in 2024. Membership fees continue to be the primary source, accounting for 75% of total revenue. Personal Training rose to 17% (vs 15% in 2023), becoming a progressively more important revenue source and the second highest grossing product in almost every club.
Nutrition consultations, often sold in a pack with PT, represent 2% of revenue. Other revenue (in-house equipment and supplements shop, leased spaces for physiotherapy or aesthetics, partnerships with external nutritionists) adds up to 6%.
| fonte | valor |
|---|---|
| Mensalidades | 75 |
| Personal Training | 17 |
| Outras receitas | 6 |
| Consultas de Nutrição | 2 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
To place this in absolute monetary context, in a 345 million EUR market in 2024, that represents approximately 259 million EUR in membership fees, 59 million EUR in Personal Training, 21 million EUR in other revenue and 7 million EUR in nutrition consultations. The PT sector alone is worth practically the same as the combined revenue of all small chains.
Members' average frequency rose slightly in 2024: 2.3 days per week (vs 2.2 in 2023), or 9.7 days per month. The average number of monthly visits per club rose from 9,596 in 2023 to 13,721 in 2024 (+43%), reflecting both more members and higher frequency per member.
A consistent difference: members of independent clubs attend the gym more than members of chains. In 2024, members of independent clubs entered on average 11.4 times per month; members of chains entered 8.6 times. This difference has existed since 2018 and suggests stronger emotional loyalty to the local space when the operator is small.
The sector's average retention rate rose to 58.4% in 2024 (vs 54.7% in 2023), the highest value in the AGAP historical series. Despite the record, it is still significantly below the European average (71% according to the Health & Fitness Association 2024), which suggests structural room for improvement.
The big news of 2024 is the inversion of retention by segment. For the second consecutive time, the Low-Cost retention rate (81%) surpasses Mid-Market (55%). And for the first time, Premium suffered a significant drop (from 67% in 2023 to 63% in 2024).
| ano | lowCost | midMarket | premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 24 | 35 | 98 |
| 2019 | 23 | 47 | 98 |
| 2020 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| 2021 | 36 | 51 | 59 |
| 2022 | 56 | 45 | 61 |
| 2023 | 57 | 55 | 67 |
| 2024 | 81 | 55 | 63 |
Fonte: AGAP Barómetro do Fitness 2024
AGAP attributes the Low-Cost improvement to a combination of factors: low cost (cancelling brings no significant financial relief, creating inertia), the absence of contractual lock-in at several clubs (reducing the pressure to leave before it ends), and gradual improvement in perceived service quality. The Premium drop is more surprising and deserves deeper investigation in the next edition of the Barómetro.
The fitness sector employed 18,740 professionals in Portugal in 2024, according to AGAP: 10,528 instructors (FTE) and 8,212 non-instructor staff (FTE). Combined growth vs 2023 was +8.4% (instructors +7.7%, staff +9.4%). It is the second consecutive year of recovery after the 2021 low (16,936 total workers).
In the broader sports sector, which includes federations, sport-specific clubs, municipal facilities and physical education activities, the INE reports 52,500 workers in 2024, with growth of 15.9% vs 2023. Sports employment in Portugal is predominantly male (66.2%), young (54% aged between 16 and 34) and relatively qualified (41.9% have higher education).
The gross average monthly salary varies significantly by sub-sector according to the INE:
The figure of 1,094 EUR in gym activities is significantly below the average of the sports sector and even below the national average salary (1,521 EUR in 2025), reflecting the predominantly low-cost and mid-market structure of employment in the sector (many hours per shift but moderate hourly pay).
As for personal trainers specifically, the IPDJ had 27,593 registered sports coaches in 2024 (including PTs and federated coaches across various disciplines). There is no segregated census for PTs alone, but the sector estimate is that around half of AGAP instructors (~5,000) work partly as PTs alongside floor work. More details on the PT market in Portugal are available in our study on how much a personal trainer charges in Portugal and in the guide to starting a personal trainer career in Portugal.
To work legally as a PT in Portugal, the IPDJ TPTEF licence is mandatory, valid for 5 years and renewable with 5 continuous training credits. Without the licence, it is not allowed to provide guided physical exercise services.
The central tension of this study is the coexistence between a robustly growing fitness sector and a population that remains the most sedentary in the European Union. The data is consistent across multiple sources.
According to the INE's Survey on Adult Education and Training (2022), 45.2% of the Portuguese population aged 18 to 69 practised sport in the last 12 months and 50.4% practised physical exercise in the last 12 months. But only 23.2% practise sport regularly (5 or more times per week) and only 20.2% practise physical exercise regularly.
The picture grows starker in Eurobarometer 525, which compares Portugal with the other 26 European Union countries. 73% of Portuguese adults declare they never exercise or practise sport, the worst rate in the EU-27 and slightly above Greece (68%) and Poland (65%). At the other extreme, Finland has only 8% of completely inactive adults, followed by Sweden (12%) and Denmark (20%).
| pais | valor |
|---|---|
| Portugal | 73 |
| Grécia | 68 |
| Polónia | 65 |
| Roménia | 60 |
| Itália | 56 |
| Dinamarca | 20 |
| Suécia | 12 |
| Finlândia | 8 |
Fonte: Eurobarometer 525 — Sport and Physical Activity 2022
The reasons given by non-practising Portuguese are two dominant ones: lack of time (42.5%) and "not enjoying practising" (27.3%). Other causes mention cost, lack of nearby facilities and health issues, but all below 15% individually.
Household spending is also revealing. 50.5% of Portuguese families spend up to 10 EUR per month on their own physical exercise, indicating a preference for free or low-cost solutions (walking, outdoor running, free). The amount rises fourfold for children's sports activity, suggesting that the Portuguese prioritise the next generation's sport over their own.
Physical inactivity is not only an individual health problem: it has significant economic costs for the public system and for the economy.
The Direção-Geral da Saúde estimates that physical inactivity costs around 900 million EUR per year to the Serviço Nacional de Saúde. The calculation is based on the premise that half of the Portuguese population does not meet the WHO's minimum physical activity recommendations (150 weekly minutes of moderate aerobic activity), and that this inactivity increases the prevalence of chronic diseases (cardiovascular, type 2 diabetes, several cancers).
When indirect costs are included (absence from work due to illness and presenteeism, that is, being at work with low productivity), a Deloitte study published by the Health & Fitness Association in 2024 estimates that physical inactivity costs 1,569 million EUR per year to the Portuguese economy.
In addition, obesity and pre-obesity (in part a consequence of physical inactivity, in part an independent cause) represent 1,200 million EUR per year in direct health costs, equivalent to 0.6% of Portuguese GDP and 6% of total health spending. The diseases most associated with these costs are diabetes, stroke, ischaemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.
| categoria | valor |
|---|---|
| SNS (custo direto) | 900 |
| Obesidade (custo direto) | 1200 |
| Economia (absentismo + presentismo) | 1569 |
Fonte: DGS, SNS, Deloitte/H&FA 2024
In mortality terms, the DGS estimates that physical inactivity is responsible for 14% of total mortality in Portugal. If Portugal reduced the prevalence of inactivity by 10%, approximately 1,500 deaths per year would be avoided. Politically, this would be one of the public health interventions with the best cost-benefit ratio documented in the European literature.
The scientific literature offers references on the minimum effective dose of exercise to reduce these risks. The WHO recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week plus at least two muscle strengthening sessions for adults aged 18 to 64. Westcott (2012), in a review published in Current Sports Medicine Reports, showed that 30 minutes of strength training twice a week already produce significant strength and body composition gains in beginners. The Schoenfeld (2017) meta-analysis, a reference of the hypertrophy literature, demonstrates that 10 to 20 weekly sets per muscle group maximise muscle growth. These references are useful for framing public campaigns, since they show that the technical bar for obtaining significant benefit is much lower than common sense supposes.
Beyond the traditional gym market, three sub-segments have grown rapidly in Portugal since 2022, creating new practice models and new competition for AGAP operators.
Hyrox, a competitive format combining running and functional stations, arrived in Portugal in 2022 and grew quickly. In 2025, there are approximately 20 venues where Hyrox is practised in Portugal and more than 25 gyms offer formal classes (including Fitness Hut and several CrossFit boxes). Around 1,800 Portuguese compete in Hyrox at a competitive level, travelling to events in Lisbon, Berlin, Verona or Madrid. Globally, Hyrox has more than 2 million registered athletes and 11,000 affiliated gyms in 25 countries. More details in our guide to Hyrox in Lisbon.
Pilates Reformer had its year of expansion in Portugal in 2023, with international chains entering the national market. Club Pilates (the American chain that is the global leader) opened its first studio in Portugal in June 2023 (Avenidas Novas, Lisbon) and expanded to Parque das Nações. Prescription Pilates operates 5 studios (Lisbon: São Bento, Saldanha, Alcântara, Parque das Nações; Porto: Boavista, with a new studio scheduled for February 2026). The Pilates Studio Portugal operates another 5 studios across Greater Lisbon and the south of the country. Globally, Lisbon concentrates 7 to 8 dedicated Reformer Pilates studios, according to listings from Time Out and NiT.
CrossFit has held a consolidated presence in Portugal since the middle of the last decade, with a sector estimate of 50 to 80 boxes in operation, although there is no official census. Several of these venues also offer Hyrox classes as a complement to the traditional CrossFit programme.
A technical note for comparative analysis: many Pilates and CrossFit studios in Portugal register under CAE 96040 (physical wellbeing activities) or other codes, rather than CAE 93130 (gym and fitness activities). This means these studios are not part of the AGAP circuit and are partially invisible in the aggregated sector numbers.
The last important structure of the sector is the segment of aggregator digital platforms, which allow the user to access several gyms and studios on a single monthly subscription. This segment has structurally changed the economics of fitness in Portugal since 2017.
Wellhub (ex-Gympass) is the largest corporate wellbeing platform in the world, with 3 million global subscribers, 55,000 partners (gyms, studios, apps) and 15,000 corporate clients. In 2024 it announced the rebrand from Gympass to Wellhub, reflecting the evolution from "gym pass" to "integrated corporate wellbeing platform". The Portuguese operation has over 220 employees. The platform has accumulated more than 500 million check-ins at partner gyms globally.
Urban Sports Club, founded in Berlin, arrived in Portugal in December 2017 (first Lisbon, then Porto). In 2025, it offers in Lisbon a network of 367 partners (gyms, studios, diving schools, swimming pools, climbing gyms) and the XL subscription (129 EUR/month) gives access to 9,597 partners in 91 European cities.
ClassPass, the American platform that is the global leader in pay-as-you-go fitness, has a marginal presence in Portugal and does not publish segregated numbers for the Portuguese market.
The presence of these platforms has three implications for the sector:
Despite the sector's positive growth, consumer complaints against gyms in Portugal have grown much faster than the number of members.
The Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico recorded 1,450 complaints about gyms in 2024, a growth of 6% vs 2023 (1,368) and an increase of 544% vs 2018 (225 complaints on Portal da Queixa). The historical trajectory is clear: 225 in 2018, 369 in 2019 (+64%), 735 between April 2020 and March 2021 (pandemic effect, charges during closure), approximately 900 in 2021, 1,100 in 2022, 1,368 in 2023, 1,450 in 2024.
| ano | valor |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 225 |
| 2019 | 369 |
| 2020 | 735 |
| 2021 | 900 |
| 2022 | 1100 |
| 2023 | 1368 |
| 2024 | 1450 |
Fonte: Portal da Queixa + Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico (Visão, Público)
DECO PROteste has been denouncing since 2018 several frequent industry practices it considers abusive or illegal. Among the most problematic clauses:
According to a DECO PROteste survey in 2021, 50% of members would have liked to receive more information about the contractual conditions before signing up, and 1 in 5 members quits the gym due to lack of personalised attention. The most frequent causes of complaint in the LRE in 2024 are: unexpected charges, cancellation conditions contrary to expectations, quality of service or equipment, and contesting contractual clauses.
This section is deliberately explicit so that anyone citing this study can evaluate its quality and fitness for each use.
How this study was made. We aggregated 27 verified public sources, with absolute priority given to primary sources with transparent methodology. The three sources supporting more than 60% of the datapoints are: the AGAP / Portugal Activo Barómetro do Fitness 2024 (annual study since 2017, conducted by doctorate researchers from the Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, n=215 responses in 2024 representing 420 fitness clubs, with consistent year-on-year methodology), the INE Desporto em Números 2024 and 2025 (annual official bilingual publication with data on employment, companies, salaries, public funding and sports participation) and the Eurobarometer 525 Sport and Physical Activity 2022 (EU-27 sample with more than 1,000 respondents per country).
Portuguese government sources: Direção-Geral da Saúde (Programa Nacional para a Promoção da Atividade Física), Serviço Nacional de Saúde (inactivity costs), Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude (TPTEF professional licences).
European sources: EuropeActive + Deloitte (European Health & Fitness Market Report 2025, annual edition since 2013), Eurostat (Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Statistics).
Verifiable secondary sources: leading national press (Público, Observador, Jornal de Notícias, ECO, Jornal Económico, Visão) used only where the primary data is not directly accessible and where the publication explicitly cites the original source.
Each statistic in the study is presented with an explicit source and reference year. When two indicators disagreed across sources, the most recent primary source prevailed. When a statistic was estimated by us (such as the chains' share of total revenue, calculated by triangulating AGAP weights), it is identified as "calculated from" in the source of the corresponding chart.
Known limitations (2026 version). Five gaps we have identified that will be a priority for the 2027 edition:
Updates. This is the 2026 edition (published on 2026-05-13). The 2027 edition will be published in March 2027 at a new URL (fitness-em-portugal-dados-2027), preserving this version as a citable 2026 snapshot. The CSV file with all data is available at dados.csv.
How to cite: MySelf Studio (2026). Fitness in Portugal: Data, Statistics and Trends [2026 Study]. Available at https://www.myselfstudio.pt/blog/fitness-em-portugal-dados-2026
| AGAP 2024 + EuropeActive 2024 |
| 5 | Average monthly fee | €37.69 | first significant rise in 5 years | AGAP 2024 |
| 6 | Average retention rate | 58.4% | record; European avg 71% | AGAP 2024 + H&FA 2024 |
| 7 | Average member frequency | 2.3 days/week | — | AGAP 2024 |
| 8 | Professionals in the sector | ~18,700 | 10,528 instructors + 8,212 staff | AGAP 2024 |
| 9 | Adults who never exercise | 73% | worst rate in the EU (27 countries) | Eurobarometer 525, 2022 |
| 10 | Cost of inactivity to the SNS | €900M/year | estimate | DGS / SNS |