During the pandemic, Germany‘s sports clubs lost hundreds of thousands of members. But now there is a new membership record nationwide; there have never been so many Germans in sports clubs. Big problems remain.
Germany’s sports clubs have exceeded the 28 million membership mark for the first time. This emerges from the latest survey by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) as of January 1, 2024. In total, the approximately 86,000 sports clubs have 28,764,951 memberships, which has never happened since the first inventory survey in 1954. This is an increase of 890,000 memberships or 3.2 percent compared to the previous year.
“This is a great message for sport in Germany and for our society,” said DOSB President Thomas Weikert. “The numbers confirm what we all work hard for: sport and its clubs are an essential part of our society and an indispensable part of it. No other area of our coexistence reaches and unites as many people as sport.”
The previous high dates back to 2013 and was 27.99 million. Organized sport suffered during the corona pandemic and the numbers declined. The numbers then developed positively again and have now led to a new record. The increases can be seen in all federal states and especially among children and older people. The federal state with the greatest growth of 9.12 percent is Rhineland-Palatinate (+125,717). North Rhine-Westphalia remains the federal state with the highest membership with 5,321,912 memberships, an increase of +4.35 percent compared to 2023.
Particularly noteworthy: the number of memberships rose the most in the age group from zero to 14 years, at +9.32 percent, or 455,178. According to the DOSB, every second child in this country is in a sports club. More than 230,000 new memberships (+4.92 percent) were added among those over 60.
Big challenges and clear demands
“These are crazy numbers,” says Leon Ries, managing director of the German Sports Youth and DOSB youth director, with a view to the youngest age group. “After the harsh cuts of the Corona period, we have managed to ensure that children and young people regain the fun of exercise and that sport in clubs continues to be by far the most popular leisure activity.” However, the clubs in Germany are faced with enormous tasks in order to meet the increased demands to do justice.
Ries is therefore calling for an improvement in the framework conditions. “This includes,” he said, “very importantly, the strengthening of volunteer work through relief and the promotion of voluntary services in sport as well as the expansion of active all-day activities in order to link sport and school. There is no other way to meet the enormous demand.”
The umbrella organization also points out that many clubs have a shortage of volunteers as well as trainers and trainers. In addition, many sports facilities are in “poor condition and have been waiting for comprehensive modernization for decades”. Michaela Röhrbein, Director of Sports Development at the DOSB, says: “Sports clubs are facing enormous challenges in many places. We need more support from politicians to strengthen volunteerism, reduce bureaucracy and improve crumbling sports infrastructure.”
mel with dpa
