Global growth accelerates: Padel courts worldwide exceed 70,000

Padel is now being played on over 70,000 courts across the world as the expansion of the sport continues to accelerate, according to new figures from the International Padel Federation (FIP) Research & Data Analysis Department.

The data, released last week during Miami Premier Padel P1, shows that in just five years, the number of countries where padel is played has tripled, jumping from over 50 to more than 150.

FIP estimates that the number of padel clubs worldwide has surpassed 23,000, compared to around 19,000 at the same time last year.

Since the beginning of 2025, 16 countries have joined FIP, bringing the number of national federations represented by the global governing body to 87.

It noted that before 2018, there were 7,000 clubs and 21,000 courts globally, 85% of them concentrated in Spain and Argentina. Today, those two countries account for just 35% of the world’s padel courts, while the remaining 65% are spread across approximately 150 nations on five continents.

According to FIP, the number of padel players worldwide is now estimated to exceed 30 million, a huge increase from 2018 when there were fewer than 8 million.

“The geographic distribution shows that about 60% of players are in Europe, 23% in South America, 7% in Central and North America, 6.4% in Asia, 4.3% in Africa, and 0.3% in Oceania,” said Carlo Ferrara, head of the FIP’s data department.

He noted that most amateur players are men, at around 60%, but said padel is now “also one of the most popular sports among women”, accounting for almost 40% of the total player base.

According to FIP, the countries with the highest number of courts are Spain (nearly 17,000), Italy (9,700), and Argentina (7,000). However, it noted that the sport is experiencing rapid growth in several European countries, with both France and the Netherlands surpassing 1,000 courts in 2025, while the UK and Germany have also seen significant increases, with a combined total of 800 courts.

FIP estimates that across Europe, there are now almost 48,000 padel courts, an increase of 170% since 2020.

In South America, padel’s expansion is also continuing at a rapid pace, according to the figures. FIP said that in addition to Argentina and Brazil, Chile and Paraguay have now also surpassed 2,000 courts, while emerging markets such as Peru and Colombia are “developing strong player communities”.

FIP added that in Central and North America, Mexico is “experiencing a padel boom”, while in the US, the sport is now played in more than 30 states, with 650 courts in operation.

In Africa, beyond Egypt — where padel has been played for years — the sport is “growing significantly” in South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia, FIP said.

In Asia, the body noted that “padel is booming not only in the Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar) but also in Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan and even China.”

FIP added that in Oceania, “padel is beginning to establish itself.” It noted that New Zealand installed its first courts in 2024, and that Australia is “expected to experience a fully-fledged padel boom in the coming years, with several competitions already in the planning stages”.

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