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The EGA, alongside The R&A, is pleased to announce the publication of the 2026 European Golf Participation Report, based on 2025 estimates from EGA member federations and analysis by Sporting Insights.

Sustained Growth Across the Continent

Golf participation continues to grow in Europe, with the number of registered golfers rising 4% to over 4.9 million players in 2025, a 13% increase since 2020. The total number of 9 and 18 hole golfers, registered and unregistered, stands at 14 million, up 2% on 2024, while total adult participation across all formats of the game is estimated at 20.6 million. Taken together with junior participation, 40.5 million people played golf in Europe in 2025, representing 36% of total golf participation globally, excluding the US and Mexico.

Juniors and Women

The standout figure from this year's report is the growth in junior participation. The number of registered junior golfers in Europe has increased by 13.6% compared to 2024, rising to over 478,000. When all formats of the game are included, an estimated 19.9 million juniors played golf in Europe in 2025, underlining the breadth of young people engaging with the sport beyond formal club membership.

Registered women golfers also saw a modest rise of 1.9%, and Europe continues to be a leading region for female participation globally, with 13 of the top 20 markets for registered women golfers worldwide located on the continent. Similarly, 12 of the top 20 markets for registered junior golfers globally are in Europe.

Europe's Biggest Markets

Growth was evident across Europe's biggest golfing nations. England leads the continent with over 835,000 registered golfers, followed by Germany with 695,600, Sweden with 588,100, France with 446,500 and the Netherlands with 439,700. All five markets grew compared to 2024, with England recording the strongest increase of the group at 6%.

Reaction

"Collating data, understanding more about different types of golfers and tracking key trends in participation are important tasks that help guide initiatives to attract and retain golfers across Europe," said EGA General Secretary, Michael Thannhäuser.

"The continued growth in registered golfers is very encouraging, but the figure that stands out most in this year's report is the remarkable increase in junior participation. A 13.6% rise in registered junior golfers in a single year is a real testament to the work being done by our member federations to bring young people into the game. I would like to thank all EGA member federations for their continued efforts, and The R&A for their valuable support in producing this report."

The complete 2026 European Golf Participation Report can be downloaded below.