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Is badminton the 2nd most popular sport in the world?

Author

Daniel Moore

Published Jan 12, 2026

While it doesn't seem like it could be, badminton is considered the second most popular sport worldwide. This is because it is the second most played sport following soccer, with approximately 220 million people that play it each year.

Is badminton the 2nd most played sport in the world?

Yet, badminton is the second most popular participatory sport in the world, just behind soccer, and is considered the fastest racket sport. More than 1.1 billion people watched badminton's Olympic debut in 1996, making it the most watched sport at those Games.

What are the top 3 sports in the world by popularity?

Let's have a look at the most popular sport in the world.

  • Football – 3.5 Billion Followers. ...
  • Cricket – 2.5 Billion Followers. ...
  • Basketball – 2.4 Billion Followers. ...
  • Hockey – 2 Billion followers. ...
  • Tennis – 1 Billion Followers. ...
  • Badminton – 950 Million Followers. ...
  • Volleyball – 900 Million Followers. ...
  • Table Tennis – 875 Million followers.

How popular is badminton in the world?

But badminton is an extremely popular indoor sport, which is played regularly by an estimated 220 million people around the world.

Where is badminton the most popular?

Of the 220 million people that regularly play badminton, a majority of those live in Asia, specifically in China and South Korea. Although a number of different sports are also popular in these countries, the national affection for badminton surpasses even basketball and table tennis.

28 related questions found

Is badminton a popular sport?

Badminton

It may come as a surprise to some people that badminton is among the world's most popular sports. However, it is extremely popular and played regularly by an estimated 220 million people around the world.

What is the least popular sport?

11 Least Popular Sports in the World

  1. 1 | Kabbadi. Kabbadi is the national sport of Bangladesh and, from what I can tell, it's a mix of rugby without a ball and red rover.
  2. 2 | Motocross/motorcycle racing. ...
  3. 3 | Fencing. ...
  4. 4 | Polo. ...
  5. 5 | Archery. ...
  6. 6 | Sailing. ...
  7. 7 | Canadian football. ...
  8. 8 | Weightlifting. ...

What is the most popular sport in the world 2021?

Top 10 Most Popular Sports in the World in 2021

  • 1 1. Football/Soccer.
  • 2 2. Cricket.
  • 3 3. Baseketball.
  • 4 4. Hockey (Field + Ice)
  • 5 5. Tennis.
  • 6 6. Volleyball.
  • 7 7. Table Tennis.
  • 8 8. Baseball.

Which sport is the richest?

What is this? As one of the top three popular games globally, basketball is also the richest sport with a global market value of $90 billion. Its popularity has crossed over 2 to 2.5 billion fans worldwide.

Which sport is the most watched in the world?

The Most Watched Sporting Events in The World

  • Super Bowl – 96.4 Million Viewers.
  • World Series – 14.35 Million Viewers. ...
  • NCAA Final Four – 16.9 Million Viewers. ...
  • NBA Finals – 16.54 Million Viewers. ...
  • The Masters – 9.45 Million Viewers.
  • World Cup of Rugby- 12.8 Million Viewers. ...
  • Wimbledon – 2.6 Million Viewers.

Is badminton a rich sport?

Being a badminton player isn't the most lucrative of career options, especially if one isn't in the upper half of the top international rankings. However, so many of us play because of the sport and not for the money.

What is the second most popular sport in America?

Known as “America's pastime,” baseball is the second most popular sport in the United States and is the 7th most popular sport in the world.

What sports have the largest female audiences?

In the US, 56 per cent and 50 per cent of female fans selected the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) as a favourite league, compared with 68 per cent and 57 per cent of male fans.

What is the most popular sport in 2022?

1. Soccer. Soccer is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the world's most popular sport.

What sport is the hardest?

Boxing. The Sweet Science. That's the sport that demands the most from the athletes who compete in it. It's harder than football, harder than baseball, harder than basketball, harder than hockey or soccer or cycling or skiing or fishing or billiards or any other of the 60 sports we rated.

What is the most boring sport?

Golf is Britain's most boring sport

Golf holds a long lead over the next most boring sports. American Football is the second most snooze-worthy sport, being branded boring by 59% of people who have ever watched it, followed closely by cricket (58%), darts (also 58%) and snooker (57%).

What sport is the hottest?

  • A survey of 32,000 singles revealed that swimming is the sexiest sport.
  • Tennis and beach volleyball came in second and third in the ranking.
  • Golf, rugby and boxing were considered the most unsexy sports.
  • Someone who exercises is more attractive than someone who doesn't.

What is the most underrated sport?

5 Underrated Sports That Are Far More Entertaining Than Cricket And Football

  1. Sepak Takraw. Source. ...
  2. Rugby. Integrity, Discipline, Passion, these are the sporting traits common to us. ...
  3. Squash. Source. ...
  4. Golf. ...
  5. Formula – E.

Why is badminton popular in the world?

"Badminton is a sport that Asia has done well in at the international and world level, and this is a huge reason why the game is extremely popular." The dominance of Asia's badminton players at the top level helps to inspire others to pick up a racket, which in turn creates a healthy playing base.

Why is badminton not popular?

Badminton's lack of popularity in the US accounts to; a lack of media coverage, a smaller player base, limited earning potential as an athlete, absence of well known relatable players, rare success in the sport at the top level and cultural history of sports in the US.

Why is badminton your Favourite sport?

Badminton is a sport that makes me feel active and healthy while having fun. It is the source of my energy. Playing this sport makes me feel strong and confident. Each stroke of the racket makes the typical “whoosh” sound that I love.

Why badminton is the second most popular sport?

While it doesn't seem like it could be, badminton is considered the second most popular sport worldwide. This is because it is the second most played sport following soccer, with approximately 220 million people that play it each year.

How popular is badminton in Japan?

Badminton has maintained popularity in recent years, and there are about 260,000 registered players with the Nippon Badminton Association. But Japan's Olympic success might cause an increase in the number of players.