How Many People Go Skiing Each Year?

📏01 / Measurement

Why there is no exact annual skier headcount

There is no worldwide register that identifies every person who skis in a given winter. Resorts can count lift access much more reliably, but the same person may ski on several days, visit more than one resort or travel between countries.

Industry reports therefore use skier visits, also called skier-days. One person skiing or snowboarding at a resort for any part of a day or night counts as one visit. That is an activity measure, not a headcount of separate people.

👥02 / People

Best estimate: around 135 million people are part of the global skier population

Laurent Vanat’s 2022 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism estimated the worldwide skier population at around 135 million people. The figure is widely cited in ski-tourism research, but it should not be read as a fresh count for 2026 or as the number of people who skied in a single season.

The industry definition covers skiing, snowboarding and other downhill sliding activities, including people who do not take a resort trip every winter. It is based on national participation estimates and ski-area data, rather than a worldwide register of individuals. Vanat and Li Yu’s 2023 research discusses the wider ski-tourism market and its limitations.

📈03 / Annual activity

Worldwide ski areas recorded 399 million skier visits in 2024/25

Laurent Vanat’s 2026 International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism recorded 399 million skier visits worldwide in 2024/25, ahead of the previous high of 392 million visits in 2018/19. The figures describe a record for ski-area attendance, not 399 million separate people.

That is seven million more visits than the previous record. It does not show how many new individuals took up skiing: an increase can also come from existing skiers visiting more often, longer seasons or stronger resort attendance.

🗺️04 / Coverage

What the statistics include — and what they miss

Global ski-industry numbers are strongest for organised, lift-served downhill skiing because resorts have ticketing and access systems that can count visits. They are much less complete for activities that happen away from conventional ski areas.

• Best measured: visits to lift-served ski areas, including downhill skiing and snowboarding, where ticketing and access systems support the estimates.
• Less complete: touring, backcountry activity and skiing away from managed lift-served resorts; the reported worldwide total does not measure every day spent on snow.
• Population estimates: include skiers and snowboarders who might not have visited a ski resort in the specific winter being measured.

❄️05 / Variability

Why annual skiing numbers change from year to year

Ski-area attendance varies with weather, demand, prices and access to resorts. A season can set a visitor record without proving that the number of individual people who ski has risen by the same amount.

• Snow and operations: snowfall, snowmaking, lift availability and resort opening days influence how many visits can take place.
• Travel demand: transport prices, exchange rates, household budgets and holiday accommodation affect bookings.
• Calendar and repeat visits: school holidays, season-pass use and the number of days each person skis all affect visit totals.

❓06 / FAQ

Frequently asked questions about global skiing numbers

Are skier visits the same as the number of skiers?

No. A skier visit counts one person using a ski area for all or part of a day or night. The same person can therefore create several skier visits during a single trip.

How many people actually skied during the 2024/25 season?

There is no reliable, consolidated global count of distinct individuals for that winter. The 399 million figure counts visits, while the 135 million estimate is a broader, older measure of the skier population.

Are snowboarders included in these statistics?

Yes. Vanat’s definition of a skier includes skiing, snowboarding and other downhill sliding activities. Skier visits therefore are not exclusive to people using two skis.

Is 399 million the figure for winter 2025/26?

No. It is the 2024/25 result, published in 2026. A 14 October 2026 industry update says the consolidated worldwide figures for 2025/26 are expected in the 2027 international report.