Sport in Europe: Who plays, who works, who wins
Publication Date/Time
2026-10-27T12:00:00+00:00
Country
Europe
Insights on participation, employment and Olympic performance across
the EU
When was the last time you exercised or played a sport? 

For some, the answer is today. For others, it may have been weeks or
even months ago. Europeans’ engagement with sport varies widely, but
those who do participate are often motivated by similar goals. Whether
it is to stay healthy, improve fitness, relax, have fun or spend time
with others, sport remains a central part of life for millions of
people across Europe. 

Using open data, this data story explores participation in sport,
employment in the sport sector and Olympic performance across the EU.
Together, these dimensions highlight the social and economic
importance of sport, along with Europe’s presence on the
international sporting stage. 

 

_WHO IS ACTIVE IN EUROPE – AND DOES THIS DIFFER BETWEEN MEN AND
WOMEN?_ 

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But how
often Europeans engage in sport varies widely across countries and
between men and women (see FIGURE 1). 

The data shows 38 % of Europeans report exercising or playing sport
almost daily or several times a week. This overall figure, however,
differs considerably from one Member State to another. Regular
engagement in sport is highest in Finland, where 71 % of adults
report exercising or playing sport almost daily or several times a
week. Participation is also high in Luxembourg (63 %) and the
Netherlands (60 %). By contrast, fewer than 25 % of adults in
Romania, Bulgaria and Portugal report exercising or playing sport
regularly, underlining the large differences in sporting habits across
the EU. 

The figure also reveals a consistent gender gap in regular sports
engagement. At the EU level, men are approximately seven percentage
points more likely than women to report exercising or playing sport
almost daily or several times a week. However, the size of this gap
varies considerably between Member States. In Finland, the Netherlands
and Denmark, the gap is barely visible, at around two percentage
points or less, while Luxembourg stands out as the only Member State
where women are slightly more likely than men to participate regularly
in sport. By contrast, some of the largest gaps are observed in
Ireland, Slovakia and Poland, where men appear to be around 13 to
14 percentage points more likely than women to engage in sport. 

Across the EU, women remain less likely than men to engage in sport, a
gap that appears in nearly every Member State regardless of the
overall participation level. Understanding these differences is an
important step towards making sport more accessible and inclusive for
everyone.
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20260917_sport_1_who%20practice.png]
FIGURE 1: SPORTS PARTICIPATION BY GENDER ACROSS EU MEMBER STATES 

_Source:_ Eurobarometer
[https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668] / European
Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/s2668_97_3_sp525_eng?locale=en]. 

 

_HOW MANY EUROPEANS WORK IN SPORT?_ 

Sport is not only played and watched by Europeans – it also
employs them. Across the EU, more than 1.7 million people work in
sport, from coaches and fitness instructors to sports managers and
event organisers. 

As shown in FIGURE 2A, the share of people employed in sport has
gradually increased over time. In 2011, sport accounted for around
0.6 % of total employment in the EU. By 2025, this figure had risen
to almost 0.9 %, reflecting the growing role of the sector in the
European labour market. Of all Member States, Sweden records the
highest share of sport employment, with around 1.6 % of all workers
employed in the sector, followed by Denmark, Finland and Spain. At the
other end of the ranking, Romania reports by far the lowest share, at
around 0.2 %, while Bulgaria and Czechia also remain below the EU
average. 

Sport employs people of all ages, but young workers are especially
well represented in the sector compared with the wider economy.
FIGURE 2B shows that workers aged 15–29 represent 36 % of all
sport employment, whereas the same age group represents only around
18 % of total employment across all sectors. This pattern can be
observed across almost the entire EU. In all countries, young people
account for a larger share of sport employment than of employment in
the wider economy. The contrast is particularly striking in the Nordic
countries, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, where young people make up
more than 47 % of the sport workforce. 

Taken together, the figures show that sport is a relatively small but
growing source of employment across the EU. At the same time, it plays
a particularly important role for younger workers, making the sector
one of Europe’s youngest workforces. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20260917_sport_2_share%20of%20sport%20in%20employment.png]
FIGURE 2A: EUROPEANS EMPLOYED IN SPORT OVER TIME AND ACROSS EU MEMBER
STATES IN 2025 

_Source:_ Eurostat
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/sprt_emp_sex/default/table?lang=en&category=sprt.sprt_emp] /
European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/uumqosc8hl9nvkjprjw?locale=en]. 

 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20260917_sport_3_who%20works.png]
FIGURE 2B: SPORT EMPLOYMENT AS A SHARE OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT ACROSS EU
MEMBER STATES 

_Sources_: 

	* Employment in sport: Eurostat
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/sprt_emp_sex/default/table?lang=en&category=sprt.sprt_emp]
/ European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/uumqosc8hl9nvkjprjw?locale=en]; 
	* Total employment: Eurostat
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/lfsi_emp_a/default/table?lang=en]
/ European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/ynsrmoharmcpoxxwdhvvea?locale=en]. 

 

_HOW DID EUROPE PERFORM AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES?_ 

The Olympic Games bring together athletes from across the world to
compete at the highest level of sport. The results of the Paris 2024
Games provide an opportunity to explore how the EU performed and which
countries contributed most to its success. 

FIGURE 3 compares the number of medals won by each EU Member State
with its population size. In general, larger countries tend to win
more medals than smaller ones. France (as host) won the highest number
of medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with 64 medals, while Italy,
Germany and Spain were also among the strongest performers. Some of
the EU’s smallest Member States, including Luxembourg and Malta, did
not win any medals, while several other smaller countries won only a
handful. There are, however, notable exceptions to this relationship.
The Netherlands secured 34 medals, the third-highest total in the EU,
while Hungary won 19 medals despite having fewer than 10 million
inhabitants. 

The figure also shows how medals were distributed across sport
categories and regions of the world. EU Member States won 309 medals
at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while Europe as a whole secured 414
medals, more than any other continent. Europe’s strongest
performance was in cycling, where EU Member States secured 32 of the
66 medals awarded. EU Member States also led in paddling and water
sports (66 of 121 medals) and team ball sports (24 of 48 medals). The
EU’s dominance was least pronounced in precision sports (11 of 60
medals) and gymnastics and acrobatic sports (12 of 61 medals), where
EU Member States secured less than one fifth of all medals awarded. 

Overall, Europe’s success at Paris 2024 was built on strength across
a wide range of sports, from athletics and team sports to cycling and
paddling. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20260917_sport_4.1_Paris%202024.png]
FIGURE 3: OLYMPIC MEDAL PERFORMANCE OF EU MEMBER STATES AND CONTINENTS
AT THE PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES 

_Source:_ data.gouv.fr
[https://data.education.gouv.fr/explore/assets/paris-2024-results-medals-oly-eng/] /
European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/https-data-education-gouv-fr-explore-dataset-paris-2024-results-medals-oly-eng-?locale=en]. 

 

CONCLUSION 

Sport remains an important part of life across the EU, but
participation, employment and performance vary considerably between
Member States. While some countries report high levels of regular
exercise, others lag behind, and a gender gap in sport remains visible
across much of the EU. 

Beyond participation, sport also contributes to the economy through
employment. Although the sector accounts for a relatively small share
of total jobs, it has grown steadily over time and plays a
particularly important role for younger workers. 

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games highlight another dimension of sport in
Europe. Collectively, EU Member States performed strongly across a
wide range of disciplines, demonstrating the breadth of Europe’s
sporting strengths. 

Taken together, these figures show how sport shapes European society
in multiple ways: as a source of health and well-being, employment and
international achievement. Open data helps make these patterns
visible, offering insights into how Europeans participate in, work in
and excel at sport. 

So, when was the last time you exercised? 

 

 

 

 

