New report highlights economic pressures, growth patterns, and outlook for climbing gyms across North America.
World Climbing is sharing new insights into the state of the Climbing industry following the publication of the Gyms & Trends 2025 report by Climbing Business Journal.
Now in its 13th edition, the annual report provides a detailed overview of developments across the North American Climbing gym market, examining growth rates, economic pressures, consumer behaviour, and operational trends throughout 2025.
INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE IN A CHANGING ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
Drawing on an in-depth survey of 240 climbing facilities, alongside aggregated data and expert analysis, the report offers one of the most comprehensive single-year snapshots of the commercial sector. Maps, charts, graphs, and tables illustrate how gyms have responded to broader economic conditions, including shifts in customer traffic, revenue streams, and spending habits.
Among the key findings are updates on all new commercial Climbing gym openings and closures across the Canada, Mexico, and the USA in 2025, providing a clear picture of expansion patterns and regional adjustments.
GROWTH, PARTICIPATION, AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
The report also examines the growth rate of the North American climbing gym industry, placing it within a wider economic framework. Particular attention is given to consumer spending trends, average check-ins, memberships, payment volumes, and the evolution of pricing structures, programmes, and amenities.
One notable area of development highlighted in 2025 is the continued rise of youth programming and its increasing contribution to gym revenues, reflecting both grassroots engagement and long-term athlete pathway development.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026
In addition, the report includes a data-driven forecast for 2026, featuring the industry’s first-ever Optimism Index: a metric designed to gauge operators expectation for the year ahead.
For World Climbing and its community, the findings provide valuable context for understanding the broader ecosystem that supports competitive and recreational Climbing alike. Commercial gyms play a central role in athlete development, community building, and participation growth, making industry insights an important reference point for the sport’s continued evolution.
The full Gyms & Trends 2025 report is available through Climbing Business Journal’s membership platform, with selected data visualisations and dashboards accessible to subscribers.
