How Many People Play Padel? FIP's 2026 Report
Players, courts, countries, tournaments and economic impact from FIP's World Padel Report 2026, plus what FIP's announcement does not publish.
More than 40 million people play padel worldwide, according to FIP's World Padel Report 2026. At Wildcard Sport, we research from primary sources, and every figure below is attributed to FIP.
How Many People Play Padel
The 40 million figure is FIP's own estimate, and the announcement does not define an active player, so check the full report via the FIP announcement for how FIP counts them. The same report counts 1,110,000 federated players, up 30.5%. Federated players are the registered count, a separate measure from the active estimate.
FIP says padel is played in 191 countries and independent territories, 21 more than last year. It also reports 100 FIP-affiliated federations. FIP counts more than 91,200 courts, up 20.4%. On every measure where FIP states a change, the number rose. FIP gives no growth rate for the 40 million active figure. The announcement does not publish player counts by country or by continent. The report's growth section includes continental-level analysis, but the announcement gives no per-continent numbers.
Key Figures at a Glance
The table lists the main figures the announcement states, with the change or comparison where one is given.
| Measure | 2026 figure | Change or comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Active players worldwide | More than 40 million (FIP estimate) | Not stated |
| Federated players | 1,110,000 | Up 30.5% |
| Padel courts | More than 91,200 | Up 20.4% |
| Clubs | Total not stated | Up 3,890 on the 2025 report |
| Countries and territories | 191 | 21 more than last year |
| FIP-affiliated federations | 100 | Not stated |
| FIP tournaments | 434 confirmed for 2026 | 290 held in 2025 |
| Padel's GDP contribution (study) | €8.6 billion | Not stated |
| Annual industry expenditure (study) | €6.84 billion | Not stated |
Courts and Clubs
FIP counts more than 91,200 padel courts. The announcement describes this as almost 14,000 more than a year earlier, and as a rise of 20.4%. The announcement gives both figures without reconciling them.
Clubs rose by 3,890 compared with the 2025 report.
In the United States, USA Padel counted just over 1,000 courts across 31 states as of April 2026, and finding a padel court near you has that count. The figure comes from a different source and an earlier date than the FIP total.
Competition Calendar
FIP tournaments were held in 50 countries in 2025, and 290 took place. For 2026, 434 FIP tournaments are confirmed across 62 countries. The two figures are not a like-for-like comparison, because one counts events already held and the other counts events confirmed for 2026.
The four FIP circuits are the CUPRA FIP Tour, Qatar Airways Premier Padel, FIP Promises and FIP Beyond. For Qatar Airways Premier Padel, see how to watch Premier Padel live. For national-team play, see what the FIP World League is.
The report's FIP Ranking section covers men's and women's rankings, with a focus on the Top 100 and Top 300. It also reports player nationalities, average age and birth years.
What the Economic Impact Study Says
FIP's World Padel Impact study, carried out with OpenEconomics, estimates that padel generates €8.6 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). Each euro spent on padel generates €1.26 in GDP.
The global padel industry spends €6.84 billion a year. One caption in the announcement rounds that to almost €7 billion, but the announcement's own figure is €6.84 billion. Economic output is €13.07 billion, and the study counts more than 235,000 jobs.
The study assessed five parameters:
- Court rental value
- Padel facility construction
- Technical equipment
- Tournaments
- Total expenditure by country
The announcement lists a downloadable study, an interactive mini-website and a profile for each FIP-affiliated federation. The announcement does not describe how the study calculated these figures.
Year-on-Year Changes in the 2026 Report
The 2026 report lists federated players at 1,110,000, up 30.5%. Courts rose 20.4% to more than 91,200, which is almost 14,000 more than the previous count. Clubs grew by 3,890, and the number of countries rose by 21 to 191.
Tournament figures need a closer read because one count is held and the other is confirmed. The 2026 report gives 290 tournaments held in 50 countries in 2025. The 2026 report lists 434 tournaments confirmed in 62 countries. Held and confirmed are different measures, so the two counts are not a like-for-like growth rate.
How to Read the Numbers
- FIP is the source for every sport count. Every player, court, club, tournament and federation figure comes from FIP. The economic figures come from the study carried out with OpenEconomics.
- Use the announcement's wording. The announcement says "more than 235,000 jobs," and some summaries round that to about 236,000. Quote the announcement's version.
- Some figures are minimums. "More than 40 million" and "more than 91,200" are minimums, so the exact totals are higher.
FIP President Luigi Carraro said the report gives "a picture of a global sport that continues to expand."
What It Means If You Want to Play
Padel is played in doubles on an enclosed court, as explained in what padel is. The announcement gives no court count by country, so the more-than-91,200 total does not show how many courts are near you.
The announcement gives no player count by country; check the full report for any country breakdown. If you are comparing sports, the sports hub lists the other sports we cover. To find out what playing involves, start with how to start playing padel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players play padel?
The FIP World Padel Report 2026 counts more than 40 million active players and 1,110,000 federated players. The 40 million is FIP's own estimate, and the announcement does not define an active player. The 1,110,000 federated players is the registered count, which FIP reports as up 30.5%. The announcement gives no player counts by country.
Is padel growing or declining?
The announcement reports an increase on every measure where it states a change. Federated players rose 30.5%, courts rose 20.4%, and clubs rose by 3,890 compared with the 2025 report. Padel is played in 191 countries and independent territories, 21 more than last year. The announcement does not report a decline. The tournament figures are not a direct comparison, because 290 were held in 2025 and 434 are confirmed for 2026.
How many padel courts are there in the world?
FIP counts more than 91,200 padel courts, up 20.4%, or almost 14,000 more than a year earlier. The announcement gives no court count for any individual country.
How many countries play padel?
FIP says padel is played in 191 countries and independent territories, 21 more than last year. FIP tournaments were held in 50 countries in 2025, and 62 countries have FIP tournaments confirmed for 2026.
How much is the padel industry worth?
FIP's World Padel Impact study, carried out with OpenEconomics, estimates that padel generates €8.6 billion in GDP and economic output of €13.07 billion. The global padel industry spends €6.84 billion a year, and the study counts more than 235,000 jobs. The announcement does not describe how the study calculated them.
