German sports clubs see record levels of membership
Organised sport has surpassed 29 million memberships for the first time. Demand has risen particularly sharply in football, gymnastics, tennis and athletics.
Frankfurt/Main (d.de) – Sports clubs in Germany are recording an all-time high in memberships. As of 1 January 2025, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) reports around 29.3 million memberships, according to the latest annual survey. This means that the country’s approximately 86,000 sports clubs have more than half a million more memberships than a year earlier. A record was previously reached in 2024.
Organised sport remains Germany’s largest civil-society movement, the DOSB said. Since records began in 1954, the association has never registered a higher figure.
Demand has risen particularly sharply in football, gymnastics, tennis and athletics. Smaller sports such as darts, cheerleading and dance have also seen marked increases.
Figures from the 16 state-level sports associations show that the surge in club memberships is especially strong among the youngest age groups. Membership numbers among children and teenagers have risen at an above-average rate.
DOSB President Thomas Weikert spoke of “a genuine upswing for sport and for our society as a whole”. Taking part in club sport promoted health, respect and fair play, he said, as well as strengthening social cohesion.
