Padel in Spain, growth in courts and player licenses in 2024. Morcillo: “These results reflect the hard work of recent years”

Padel in Spain has been growing steadily for more than thirty years, and 2024 has confirmed this trend, both in the number of clubs, courts, and registered players. According to the latest data from the FIP Research & Data Analysis Department, there are almost 4,500 clubs and facilities in Spain, with 17,000 courts, which is a 5% increase compared to the previous year (the ratio is one court for every 2,800 people, one of the lowest in the world). The regions with the most courts are Catalonia and Andalusia, with more than 3,200 courts, followed by Madrid with 2,300, and the Valencian Community with almost 2,000.

Even more interesting are the data on player licenses issued by the Federación Española De Padel (FEP), which have surpassed the historic record of the previous year: in 2024, there were 109,040 licenses (+8% compared to 2023). The trend has grown by 175% since 2012, the year when the FEP began reporting these figures (when there were fewer than 40,000), and also compared to the last few years when the sport has become widespread across the country (in 2020, there were 75,000 licenses).

Women’s participation has also steadily increased (+11% vs 2023), reaching nearly 40,000 registered players (36%), and there are over 12,000 players under 19 years old.

The number of federated clubs (more than 1,500), coach licenses (more than 1,400), and referees (over 550) have all reached record highs. The number of amateur players is also significant, as shown by the recent Barómetro de Hábitos en Deporte en España survey by SPSG Consulting, which states that 12.7% of the Spanish population, over 6 million people, play padel.

In this regard, FEP President Ramon Morcillo said: “Padel continues to grow in Spain in all areas, from facilities to licenses and youth categories, a fact confirmed by the FIP study that reflects the hard work and effort of recent years. This growth mirrors that of a sport that has become a global phenomenon, thanks also to the contribution of our country at all levels. However, these encouraging figures do not represent an endpoint, but a starting point to do even better and confirm Spain as the leading country for this sport”.