SHERIDAN, WYOMING - March 24, 2026 - The DSSV (German Employers' Association of Fitness and Health Facilities), Deloitte, and the Deutsche Hochschule für Prävention und Gesundheitsmanagement (DHfPG) have opened the 2026 edition of their annual fitness industry benchmarking survey, known as the Eckdaten der deutschen Fitnesswirtschaft. The study, which has tracked membership numbers, revenue trends, and structural changes in the German fitness market since 1989, is now collecting data from gym and health facility operators nationwide. This year's edition covers the 2025 reporting year and extends its scope to digitalization, artificial intelligence adoption, workforce development, and the sector's expanding role in preventive health services.
Over Three Decades of Continuous Market Intelligence
The Eckdaten survey is one of the longest-running barometers of the German fitness economy, providing annual data since 1989 that serves as a factual reference for operators, investors, policymakers, and the broader public. The three study partners bring distinct capabilities to the project. DSSV functions as Europe's largest employers' association for the fitness sector and holds political representation at EU level through BusinessEurope. DHfPG, recognized as Germany's leading private university in the health sector, currently trains around 8,000 students in partnership with more than 4,300 companies. Deloitte, operating in over 150 countries with approximately 460,000 employees, contributes global consulting and analytical capacity.
Survey Scope Expands to Capture Digital Transformation and AI Adoption
The 2026 edition goes beyond traditional performance metrics to address the operational and strategic shifts currently reshaping the fitness and health sector. Topics under examination include market consolidation, preventive health service positioning, digitalization of facility operations, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in gym management and member engagement. For facility operators navigating investment decisions in technology infrastructure or workforce planning, the resulting dataset offers a sector-wide reference point grounded in real operational data rather than estimates or projections.
Organizers Appeal for Broad Operator Participation
The study partners have issued a direct call for participation from all fitness and health facility operators in Germany, emphasizing that the survey's value depends on response volume. DSSV board member and study co-author Ralf Capelan has described the benchmarking study as the single most important tool for demonstrating the strength and relevance of the fitness industry, noting that every response strengthens the sector's collective voice when engaging with government and business leaders. Prof. Dr. Sarah Kobel, who leads research at DHfPG, has stressed that tracking developments and developing actionable recommendations requires feedback from real businesses, making each response a contribution to the professionalization of the industry as a whole.
Data Transparency Positioned as a Strategic Necessity
Stefan Ludwig, a partner in Deloitte's Sport Business Group, has pointed to the range of challenges confronting the sector - from digitalization to skilled labor shortages - and argued that clear, fact-based answers are essential for market participants to navigate these pressures. DSSV supervisory board member and study co-author Janosch Marx has reinforced the call for participation, noting that the fitness industry represents health, quality of life, and social value, and that the data provides the basis for backing up the sector's significance with measurable evidence.
Implications Beyond the German Market
The survey captures operational data from thousands of fitness facilities, making it one of Europe's most authoritative snapshots of how the gym and wellness sector is evolving. Its findings on AI adoption, workforce trends, and preventive health positioning carry relevance for fitness operators and investors in markets beyond Germany. As the fitness industry increasingly positions itself as a component of the broader healthcare system, credible independent data strengthens the case for policy support and public investment in fitness infrastructure at both national and European level.
The online survey is open now, with results forming the basis for the 2026 edition of the industry's key performance benchmarks.