Gyms are more important than ever…

1 billion in sector revenue and more than 67,500 facilities. 3 per cent of Europeans belong to a gym.

In the United States the comparable figure is close to 25 per cent. That gap is not evenly distributed.

Some northern and western markets have already crossed 20 per cent penetration. Others remain below 10 per cent.

Money is the starting point, not the whole story. Income still matters.

In higher-wage economies such as the Netherlands, the UK and the Nordics, a monthly membership is a smaller slice of disposable income, so more people can treat the gym as a default rather than a luxury. Southern and eastern markets have historically faced the opposite.