Ask how many people play pickleball worldwide and you’ll hear wildly different answers. Participation is measured very differently from country to country, and many nations are only just beginning to track it.
At Global Pickleball Report, we’ve taken a conservative, evidence-first approach to tallying a plausible answer to the question, how many people really play pickleball worldwide?
→ This Week: Pickleball’s worldwide total player count | Dusty courts can’t stop this exciting point | When belief matters more than infrastructure
The Magic Number
HOW MANY PEOPLE PLAY PICKLEBALL GLOBALLY? A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE
Our method for tallying such a broad number counts on only figures tied to national surveys, federations, or major research and extrapolates from there, and we distinguish between active players and people who have simply tried the sport.
Using that methodology, the documented global floor today is about 22 million active pickleball players, or people who have played at least once in the past year. That number comes from aggregating defensible data from the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Spain, India, and the Philippines.
The United States anchors the global total. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 19.8 million Americans played pickleball in 2024. On the broader end, research commissioned by the Association of Pickleball Professionals and conducted by YouGov found 48.3 million U.S. adults played at least once in a 12-month period, capturing casual and one-time players alongside regulars.
Beyond the U.S., Canada contributes 1.54 million players, Australia about 92,000, and England and Spain together roughly 60,000 documented players—numbers that clearly understate Europe’s true participation.
India adds an estimated 50–60,000, while the Philippines reports 18,000 registered players.
The Biggest “Upswing” — Pan-Asia
Two issues ago, we told you about China and the ~60 million pickleball players there. That alone accounts for roughly X% of our worldwide estimate.
But according to 2025 research from UPA Asia, 812 million people across Asia have played pickleball at least once.
We remain skeptical of that number. After all, it would mean that roughly 1 in 5 people in Asia have already tried pickleball, a penetration rate higher than most established recreational sports achieve without decades of institutional support, broadcast exposure, or school integration.
Still, the pan-Asian region holds the most promise for pickleball’s next great pickleball boom, not only for its massive population, but because of the strong presence of similar sports like table tennis and badminton.
Source: Asia Pickleball Association
At least ~22 million people actively play pickleball worldwide, while our best estimate for a worldwide count of those who’ve played at least once is ~80–120 million people.
We can’t wait to see more points like this in Africa
Basic paddles, a dusty court…but some serious sportsmanship: this point is just as easy to imagine yourself playing as any other you’ll see scrolling through your social media feeds, but there are some advanced movements and strategy on display nonetheless.
Franklin X-40: There’s a Reason You Know This Ball
Outdoor courts are brutal on pickleballs, especially over time, which is why we use Franklin’s X-40 as the official ball of The Pickleball Clinic.
Its one-piece, no-seam build and thicker shell hold up to gritty surfaces, hot days, and long open-play sessions without going lopsided. Forty precision-drilled holes keep the flight true and the bounce predictable, even when the wind picks up. It’s USA Pickleball-approved, used at the US Open, and easy to track in neon yellow.
Use code clinic15 for 15% off and stock up before your next league night.
Number You Should Know
70%+
Over 70% of the world’s total pickleball players are outside of the sport’s founding country, the USA.
Source: Global Pickleball Report independent research
SIERRA LEONE: PICKLEBALL BY SHEER WILL
Pickleball’s growth in Sierra Leone is powered almost entirely by sacrifice. In 2024, Jeremiah Pratt of the Sierra Leone Pickleball Association sold family land to fund his team’s travel to the African Games in Accra. Even then, the team was stranded en route and forfeited its first match.
Today, about 500 players train mostly on shared basketball courts, with Saint Edwards Secondary School in Freetown serving as the sport’s hub. With no government funding and limited equipment, players often pool money just to cover transport and food.
Still, interest is growing through schools, community play, and even invitations to help introduce pickleball in neighboring Guinea.
The Bulletin Board
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👑 In a sea of brands, this one holds a title
NEXT WEEK…
Can you guess where we’re headed? Respond to this email with your guess. First one to get it right will receive something nice!
Here’s a hint:
Letter from the Editor
WHEN BELIEF MATTERS MORE THAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Pickleball is often framed through participation curves, facility counts, and growth charts. Those matter. But they can also obscure something more important: what it actually costs to grow a sport where money, infrastructure, and institutional support are scarce.
In Sierra Leone, pickleball didn’t arrive through grants or government programs. It arrived because one person refused to let geography decide who gets to compete. Jeremiah Pratt sold inherited land so his team could reach the African Games. When they were stranded en route, he found a way forward anyway, knowing it would cost them a match.
That story isn’t about hardship for its own sake. It’s about commitment and showing up when systems don’t yet have you covered.
As pickleball continues its global expansion, stories like this should recalibrate how we talk about “growth.” Not as something inevitable, but as something earned.
→ Do not hesitate to email Adam or connect with him on LinkedIn with questions, concerns, or story ideas!
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