Employment linked to sport in Spain grew by 6% in the last year, reaching 270,200 people

• “The data reflect the good performance of the Spanish economy in general and the sports industry in particular,” said the president of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes.

Madrid, February 18, 2026.- Employment linked to sport in Spain stood at 270,200 in 2025, representing an increase of 6% compared to 2024, consolidating the upward trend in the creation of jobs in the field of physical activity and sport in our country.

This figure is 9.5% more than in 2023 and 15.2% more than in 2022 and represents 1.2% of total employment in Spain, a percentage that has remained stable during the last two years.  

These data, collected in the DEata platform of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, are derived from the exploitation of the Active Population Survey (EPA) applied to the sports field. They include both jobs in companies dedicated to sports activities - such as facilities management, clubs, gyms or sports shows - and the occupations of athletes, coaches and instructors.

According to the study, men account for 60.9% of employees in the sports sector, compared to 39.1% of women.

By age, young people stand out in this area of work: 54.0% of employed persons are under 35 years of age, while in the Spanish labour market as a whole minors under that age represent approximately a quarter of the employed population.

Likewise, those who work in sports-related activities have a higher than average level of training. In 2025, 51.3% had higher education, compared to 46.9% in total employment.

As for the job characteristics, 85% of the positions linked to sport are salaried.

Of the total, 54.6 per cent were full-time jobs and 45.4 per cent were part-time jobs, while full-time work as a whole stood at 86.3 per cent for national employment.

For the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, these data “reflect the good progress of the Spanish economy in general and the sports industry in particular” and highlight the “positive impact” of physical activity in our society.

“Sport is not only a source of health, well-being, socialization and values, but it has become an increasingly powerful engine of wealth and development,” said Rodríguez Uribes. In this regard, the president of the CSD has insisted on the need to “continue working to improve some of the data, especially those related to equality between women and men and greater job stability.”

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