stats
Introduction
We gathered up some data go gain insights into the sport of pickleball.
Fun Pickleball Statistics
How many people play pickleball?
According the APP over 36.5 million people played pickleball in 2022.
What kinds of other sports do people who play pickelball enjoy?
| Activity | Participants (000’s) | Participation Rate | Index |
| Bowling | 1,958 | 40.60% | 297 |
| Treadmill | 1,925 | 39.90% | 227 |
| Walking for Fitness | 1,864 | 38.70% | 102 |
| Free Weights (Dumbbells/Hand Weights) | 1,712 | 35.50% | 206 |
| Stationary Cycling (Recumbent/Upright) | 1,449 | 30.10% | 282 |
| Basketball | 1,427 | 29.60% | 333 |
| Tennis | 1,416 | 29.40% | 396 |
| Running/Jogging | 1,405 | 29.20% | 181 |
| Bicycling (Road/Paved Surface) | 1,395 | 28.90% | 206 |
| Yoga | 1,327 | 27.50% | 244 |
| Hiking (Day) | 1,302 | 27.00% | 140 |
| Camping (Within 1/4 Mile of Vehicle/Home) | 1,272 | 26.40% | 223 |
| High Impact/Intensity Training | 1,265 | 26.30% | 364 |
| Table Tennis | 1,242 | 25.80% | 511 |
| Free Weights (Barbells) | 1,227 | 25.50% | 275 |
| Weight/Resistance Machines | 1,164 | 24.20% | 241 |
| Golf on a 9 or 18-hole golf course | 1,148 | 23.80% | 289 |
| Elliptical Motion/Cross-Trainer | 1,132 | 23.50% | 259 |
| Swimming for Fitness | 1,116 | 23.20% | 276 |
| Rowing Machine | 1,105 | 22.90% | 603 |
| Kettlebells | 1,047 | 21.70% | 489 |
| Fishing (Freshwater/Other) | 1,038 | 21.50% | 161 |
| Trail Running | 966 | 20.00% | 488 |
Source: SIFA 2022 Single Sport Pickleball Report
As we can see, pickleball players are generally active people who enjoy many different sports and hobbies to stay fit.
What percent of pickleball players are men, and what percent are women?
We can see a decent amount of women play pickleball already. As the sport grows, and with role models such as Anna Lee Waters, we expect more young girls to pick up the sport.
Do people of all ages play pickleball?
We can see that pickleball is enjoyed by all ages, with the 65+ and 24-35 year old segments accounting for the highest percentage of players.
What socioeconomic information is there about the sport of pickleball?
As we can see, the sport skews towards the wealthy in the 2021 data set. We hope that as the sport grows the demographics will shift to be more inclusive. But as enthusiasts of the sport, we all must do our part to make people from all walks of life feel welcome. We all know how hard it can be to bonk your serve in front of new people. Now imagine if you’re from a different socioeconomic class, or you look different. We need to nurture all comers to the sport to keep pickleball healthy and growing.
How racially inclusive is pickleball?
Here is the biggest challege, and opportunity for the sport of pickleball. Just as the sport skews towards the wealthy, it also is dominated by the caucasion demographic. We need to improve opportunities for players of all types to pick up and enjoy pickleball. This means having access to playing areas that are safe and nearby. This means offering equipment to school districts that may not have funding to purchase pickleball paddles, nets, and balls for their students. With money pouring into the sport in the form of sponsorships and prize pools, we as a community need to earmark funds to ensure inclusion in underserved areas.
