In 2018, 1.76 million people worked in the field of sport in the EU.
Employment in sport includes sport-related occupations in the sports sector e.g. professional athletes, professional coaches in fitness centres, non-sport occupations in the sports sector, e.g. receptionists in fitness centres, and sport-related jobs outside the sports sector, e.g. school sport instructors.
Employment in sport rose by 3.2% in terms of annual average growth rate (AAGR) between 2013 and 2018.
Women accounted for 45% of employment in sport in the EU, reflecting the structure of the total employed population (46% female).
Young people account for a relatively significant share in sport employment: in 2018, nearly four in ten workers (38%) in sport in the EU were aged 15–29, twice the figure recorded for the total employment (19 %). Since 2013, the percentage of young people employed in sport in the EU has increased, from 35% in 2013 to 38% in 2018.
For further information, see the Statistics Explained article Employment in sport.
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