"China's Outdoor Sports Population Surpasses 400 Million... Ice and Snow Industry Nears 200 Trillion Won Annually"

As the number of outdoor sports participants in China has surpassed 400 million, the scale of the country's ice and snow industry is estimated to be approaching 1 trillion yuan (approximately 202.31 trillion won) per year. On October 26, Yonhap News Agency, citing the People's Daily, reported that the Sports Economics Department of the General Administration of Sport of China presented these estimates in a report released at the "2025 China Outdoor Sports Industry Conference," which opened on October 24 in Dali, Yunnan Province, southern China.

A photo to help understand the article showing people enjoying themselves at an indoor ski-themed resort in Shanghai, China. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

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According to the report, the total scale of China's ice and snow sports industry last year was estimated at 970 billion yuan (about 196 trillion won), while the water sports industry reached 438.6 billion yuan (approximately 89 trillion won). Middle-aged and young adults have emerged as the primary consumer groups for outdoor sports, with the highest proportion found among the relatively well-educated 25 to 34 age group. High-intensity outdoor sports are more popular among men, while medium- and low-intensity activities are favored by women.

In addition, China’s first-tier cities (such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen) and new first-tier cities (15 major cities including Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Chongqing that are comparable to the first-tier cities) have become the main drivers of outdoor sports consumption. Among sports, marathon running, cycling, triathlon, skiing, and rafting have garnered high levels of interest. Immersive experiences such as virtual reality (VR) hiking, cycling, and diving, as well as night hiking, fluorescent cycling, and starlight camping, are also emerging as new forms of consumption.

During the 2024-2025 ski season, the cumulative number of visitors to ski resorts nationwide reached 256 million, and last year, the number of water sports participants in China exceeded 120 million. As of June this year, there were 335,000 companies related to outdoor sports, with more than 24,000 newly established in the first half of the year alone.

In recent years, China’s ice and snow economy has achieved rapid development. Major events such as the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Harbin Asian Winter Games have fueled the popularity of ice and snow sports, leading to the establishment of stadiums and sports facilities across the country. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the number of companies related to ice and snow equipment increased from about 300 in 2015 to around 900 in 2023, nearly tripling. During the same period, sales also grew significantly, from less than 5 billion yuan (about 963.05 billion won) in 2015 to 22 billion yuan (about 4.23676 trillion won) in 2023.

China Media Group (CMG) evaluated that "the ice and snow economy not only promotes rural revitalization and the transformation of regional economies, but is also playing an increasingly important role in achieving sustainable economic development and high-quality growth."

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