Some 52,500 Portuguese citizens were employed in the sports sector as of 2024, a 15.9% increase on the previous year, according to new data from INE, the Portuguese statistics body.
Close to two thirds (64.0%) of those employed in sport were men, the data shows, while just over half (50.5%) were aged between 16 and 34 years. In addition, 48.4% had completed tertiary education.
In terms of sport-related education and training, for the 2023/24 school year, there were 11,353 students enrolled in tertiary education in this area, which was an increase of 1.8% on the previous year, the data showed. More than a third were enrolled in ‘sport’ (33.4%) subjects, with 28.1% enrolled in ‘science of sport’ and just under a fifth (19.1%) enrolled in ‘physical education and sport‘.
Portuguese sports sector
As of 2023, the Portuguese sports sector comprised some 18,074 enterprises, while collectively generating a turnover of €2.8 billion.
Compared to the previous year, the number of sports enterprises operating in Portugal increased by 9.9%, although their collective turnover decreased by 2.8%. The majority of these enterprises were located in the Northern region (33.9%) as well as Greater Lisbon (24.3%), INE noted.
Labour productivity in the sports sector stood at €26,300 per employee in 2023, which compares to €31,300 for other non-financial sector enterprises.
The majority were employed in the operation of sports facilities, sports clubs, fitness activities, and other sports-related activities, which together accounted for 51.7% of the sector’s turnover and 68.8% of its GVA. Read more here.
Read more: What EU country has the highest percentage of people employed in the sports industry?
