Germany Divided

Everyday life

Sports club members

Memberships in sports clubs of the state sports federations, as a share of the population, 1.1.2025

Sports-club memberships equal 33.8% of the population in the former West, 1.9 times the 17.7% in the East. Baden-Württemberg leads with 38.2%, Brandenburg comes last with 15.5%. In the GDR, organised sport ran largely through workplace sports associations (Betriebssportgemeinschaften), most of which were dissolved or refounded as independent clubs after 1990.

< 19.3%19.3%23.1%26.9%30.6%≥ 34.4%

Inner-German border 1949–1990 ·16 states · 1.1.2025

Former West

33.8%

excl. Berlin

Former East

17.7%

excl. Berlin

Berlin

22.0%

Germany

30.9%

The East stands at 52% of the West's level (1.1.2025).

By state

Former WestFormer EastBerlin
  1. Baden-Württemberg38.2%
  2. Saarland36.6%
  3. Hessen36.1%
  4. Bayern35.3%
  5. Rheinland-Pfalz35.3%
  6. Niedersachsen33.7%
  7. Hamburg31.3%
  8. Nordrhein-Westfalen30.4%
  9. Schleswig-Holstein27.4%
  10. Bremen22.5%
  11. Berlin22.0%
  12. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern19.2%
  13. Thüringen18.3%
  14. Sachsen18.0%
  15. Sachsen-Anhalt18.0%
  16. Brandenburg15.5%

1.1.2025

Notes & caveats

  • Counts memberships, not people: someone in two clubs counts twice. Reference date 1 January 2025; DOSB relates memberships to the population on 31.12.2024.
  • State shares are DOSB's own; East (without Berlin) and West are our calculation from the memberships and the population implied by DOSB's shares.
  • Only clubs in the 16 state sports federations (Landessportbünde); members of national associations with special tasks are not included.
Show the table
StateSide1.1.2025
Saarlandwest36.6%
Berlinberlin22.0%
Brandenburgeast15.5%
Mecklenburg-Vorpommerneast19.2%
Sachseneast18.0%
Sachsen-Anhalteast18.0%
Thüringeneast18.3%
Schleswig-Holsteinwest27.4%
Hamburgwest31.3%
Niedersachsenwest33.7%
Bremenwest22.5%
Nordrhein-Westfalenwest30.4%
Hessenwest36.1%
Rheinland-Pfalzwest35.3%
Baden-Württembergwest38.2%
Bayernwest35.3%