Sports and fitness equipment in Europe - statistics & facts

International trade

When it came to physical exercise, gymnastics, athletics, and other sports articles and equipment, Germany was one of Europe’s leading importers. In 2020, the country imported over one and a half billion euros’ worth of these kinds of goods. By comparison, the import value of exercise articles and equipment stood at approximately 1.1 billion British pounds (or an estimated 1.3 billion euros) for the UK that year. In terms of export, Germany and the Netherlands led the list, each accounting for an export value between 900 million and one billion euros in 2020.

Fitness equipment trends

Although a lack of exercise is a common problem in the lives of many Europeans, a significant share of people do at least own fitness equipment articles. In 2021, about three-quarters of consumers in the United Kingdom owned a home fitness product, while for Germany, this was the case for about four in five survey respondents. Some of the fitness items found most frequently in British homes, included classics, such as weights, yoga mats, home cycling machines, and treadmills.

In recent years, eHealth trackers and smart watches, which can help users along their healthier lifestyle journey, have also become very popular. In fact, about a third of survey respondents in Sweden said they personally used wearables in 2021. Given this craze, many companies and brands, e.g., Fitbit, Garmin, and Samsung, have tried to dominate said market. As of 2021, the Apple Watch was the most commonly used fitness watch gadget in France.

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