Gym Churn Rate Statistics 2025: What Every Owner Needs to Know
The average gym loses 30-50% of members every year. Here's what the data says and what top-performing gyms do differently.
What Is the Average Gym Churn Rate?
The average gym churn rate is 30-50% annually. This means a gym with 500 members will lose 150-250 members each year just to maintain the same membership count.
This number varies significantly by gym type, location, and business model.
Gym Churn Rate by Type (2025 Data)
| Gym Type | Annual Churn Rate | Monthly Churn |
|---|---|---|
| Big Box (Planet Fitness, LA Fitness) | 40-50% | 3.3-4.2% |
| Boutique Fitness (CrossFit, F45) | 25-35% | 2.1-2.9% |
| Personal Training Studios | 20-30% | 1.7-2.5% |
| Yoga/Pilates Studios | 30-40% | 2.5-3.3% |
| 24-Hour Access Gyms | 45-55% | 3.8-4.6% |
Boutique gyms typically see lower churn because of stronger community and higher engagement. Big box gyms see higher churn due to lower price points attracting less committed members.
What Causes Gym Members to Cancel?
The top reasons members cancel gym memberships:
| Reason | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lack of motivation / stopped going | 31% |
| Financial reasons | 24% |
| Moved or relocated | 14% |
| Switched to another gym | 12% |
| Injury or health issues | 10% |
| Poor gym experience | 9% |
The critical insight: 31% of cancellations come from members who simply stopped showing up. These are preventable if you catch the warning signs early.
When Do Most Members Cancel?
Member cancellations follow predictable patterns:
| Timeframe | Risk Level | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1-3 | Highest | New members haven't built habits yet |
| Month 4-6 | Medium | Initial enthusiasm fades |
| Month 7-12 | Lower | Habit is established |
| Year 2+ | Lowest | Long-term members rarely leave |
The first 90 days are critical. Members who make it past 3 months are 4x more likely to stay for a year.
What Is a Good Gym Churn Rate?
| Churn Rate | Rating | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20% | Excellent | Top 10% of gyms |
| 20-30% | Good | Above average retention |
| 30-40% | Average | Industry standard |
| 40-50% | Below Average | Room for improvement |
| Over 50% | Poor | Serious retention problem |
If your churn rate is above 40%, you're likely losing $5,000+ per month in preventable cancellations.
How Do Top Gyms Reduce Churn?
Gyms with under 25% churn rate typically do these things:
1. Track attendance patterns They know when a member's visit frequency drops before the member consciously decides to quit.
2. Intervene early They reach out to at-risk members within 7 days of behavior change, not after they've already cancelled.
3. Personalize retention efforts Different members need different interventions. A busy professional needs schedule flexibility. A new member needs encouragement.
4. Monitor leading indicators They track signals like:
- ●Attendance velocity (visits per week trending down)
- ●Class booking without showing up
- ●Payment retry failures
- ●Contract expiration timing
How to Calculate Your Gym's Churn Rate
Monthly Churn Rate Formula:
Monthly Churn = (Members Lost This Month ÷ Members at Start of Month) × 100Example:
- ●Started January with 500 members
- ●Lost 20 members in January
- ●Monthly churn = (20 ÷ 500) × 100 = 4%
Annual Churn Rate:
Annual Churn = 1 - (1 - Monthly Churn Rate)^12A 4% monthly churn compounds to roughly 39% annual churn.
The Cost of Gym Member Churn
| Metric | Calculation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Average membership | - | $100/month |
| Average member lifetime | - | 8 months |
| Lifetime value (LTV) | $100 × 8 | $800 |
| Monthly churn | - | 4% (20 members) |
| Monthly revenue lost | 20 × $100 | $2,000 |
| Annual revenue lost | $2,000 × 12 | $24,000 |
| LTV lost annually | 20 × 12 × $800 | $192,000 |
Reducing churn by just 5% can add $20,000+ in annual revenue for a 500-member gym.
Can Software Predict Gym Member Churn?
Yes. Modern AI can analyze member behavior patterns and predict cancellations 2-4 weeks before they happen.
Signals that predict churn include:
- ●Declining visit frequency
- ●Missed class bookings
- ●Payment failures
- ●Contract expiration timing
- ●Lack of engagement with gym communications
Traditional gym software like Mindbody and Glofox can show you who cancelled. AI-powered software can show you who's *about* to cancel — while you can still save them.
Key Takeaways
- 1.Average gym churn is 30-50% annually — if you're in this range, you're losing money
- 2.First 90 days are critical — most churn happens early
- 3.31% of cancellations are preventable — members who stop showing up can be saved
- 4.Top gyms track leading indicators — not just who cancelled, but who's at risk
- 5.Reducing churn 5% = $20,000+ annually for a typical gym