State of the Industry 2026: How Many Martial Arts Schools Are There in Australia?
Australia has about 4,500 physical martial arts schools, BJJ academies and MMA gyms, more per person than any other country in our State of the Industry series. This report shows where the number comes from and breaks it down by state and by style.
Part of Martial Arts Professional’s State of the Industry 2026, which also covers the United States and the other countries in this series.
The short answer
- About 4,500 physical locations (range: 3,200 to 5,500).
- 3,247 to 3,998 “Martial arts school” listings, plus 1,232 “Martial arts clubs.”
- 11.6 schools per 100,000 people, about 50% more than the U.S. (7.6).
- Canberra is the most saturated (22.7 per 100,000); New South Wales has the most schools (1,116).
- 493 Muay Thai gyms, more than twice Canada’s rate per person.
How many martial arts schools are there in Australia?
About 4,500 physical locations, within a range of 3,200 to 5,500. The two listing providers count 3,247 and 3,998 “Martial arts school” listings, and PoiData lists another 1,232 “Martial arts clubs.”
| Source | What it counts | Figure | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartScraper | “Martial arts school” listings | 3,247 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| PoiData | “Martial arts school” listings | 3,998 | Aug 2025 |
| PoiData | “Martial arts club” listings | 1,232 | Aug 2025 |
| PoiData | Style listings: karate, taekwondo, Muay Thai, jujitsu, kickboxing, judo | 2,828 combined | Aug 2025 |
| Australian Bureau of Statistics | Population | 27.9 million | Mar 31, 2026 |
How we counted
No government or industry body publishes a count of martial arts schools as physical places, so we compared two independent business-listing providers. SmartScraper counts Google business listings by category (data as of April 1, 2026). PoiData counts verified business listings (data as of August 2025). We used the higher “Martial arts school” count as the base, then allowed for “Martial arts club” and style-category listings, many of which are the same schools listed twice. Listings also include some closed schools and classes held inside other facilities, and miss programs with no online listing. The U.S. report used the same method.
Which states have the most martial arts schools?
New South Wales has the most listings, but Canberra is by far the most saturated: the ACT has 22.7 schools per 100,000 residents, three times the U.S. rate.
| State or territory | “Martial arts school” listings | Per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 1,116 | 12.9 |
| Queensland | 748 | 13.0 |
| Victoria | 684 | 9.6 |
| Western Australia | 340 | 11.0 |
| South Australia | 178 | 9.3 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 111 | 22.7 |
| Tasmania | 50 | 8.6 |
| Northern Territory | 20 | 7.4 |
| Australia | 3,247 | 11.6 |
Sources: SmartScraper, April 1, 2026; Australian Bureau of Statistics, March 31, 2026.
Which martial arts styles have the most schools in Australia?
Karate and taekwondo lead, but Muay Thai is unusually strong.
| Style category | Listings (PoiData, Aug 2025) |
|---|---|
| Karate school | 837 |
| Taekwondo school | 599 |
| Muay Thai boxing gym | 493 |
| Jujitsu school | 451 |
| Kickboxing school | 344 |
| Judo school | 104 |
SmartScraper counts 787 karate schools (April 2026). Australia has 17.7 Muay Thai gyms per million people, more than twice Canada’s 7.2. BJJ: the 451 jujitsu listings mix BJJ with traditional jujitsu, and many BJJ academies list as gyms or martial arts schools, so no reliable BJJ count exists. MMA: no national count exists.
How does Australia compare?
Australia is the most saturated of the five countries in this series: 11.6 “Martial arts school” listings per 100,000 people, against 7.6 in the U.S. and Canada, 10.7 in England and 5.4 in New Zealand. At about 4,500 locations, there is one school for roughly every 6,200 Australians.
What an Australian school owner should take from this
- Competition is denser than in North America. Differentiation on teaching quality, programs and service matters more.
- Combat sports are a bigger share of the market. Muay Thai, kickboxing and jujitsu together have 1,288 listings, close to karate and taekwondo combined (1,436).
- Clubs are a large part of the landscape: 1,232 club listings sit alongside the schools.
- Canberra is crowded; the Northern Territory and Tasmania are not.
Frequently asked questions
How many martial arts schools are there in Australia?
About 4,500 physical locations, within a range of 3,200 to 5,500. Business listings show 3,247 to 3,998 martial arts schools, depending on the provider, plus 1,232 martial arts clubs.
Which Australian state has the most martial arts schools?
New South Wales, with 1,116 listings. Per person, the Australian Capital Territory leads with 22.7 schools per 100,000 residents.
Which martial arts style has the most schools in Australia?
Karate, with 837 listings, followed by taekwondo (599), Muay Thai (493), jujitsu (451), kickboxing (344) and judo (104), according to PoiData’s August 2025 counts.
How many Muay Thai gyms are there in Australia?
PoiData lists 493 Muay Thai boxing gyms as of August 2025, about 17.7 per million people.
Does Australia have more martial arts schools per person than the U.S.?
Yes. On the same listing source, Australia has 11.6 martial arts school listings per 100,000 people, against 7.6 in the United States.
Sources, and what we could not confirm
Listings: SmartScraper (Rentech Digital) Australia reports for martial arts schools and karate schools, April 1, 2026; PoiData Australia reports for martial arts schools, martial arts clubs and six style categories, August 2025. Population: Australian Bureau of Statistics, March 31, 2026. Context: IBISWorld counts 7,632 sports instructor businesses in Australia in 2026, a category covering all sports.
Not established: how many schools appear under more than one category; a national BJJ count; any MMA count. The providers do not publish their methods or deduplication. The Martial Arts Wealth Mastery contact list was too small outside the U.S. to support a style breakdown.
Related reading
- State of the Industry 2026: the hub, with all five countries compared
- How many martial arts schools are there in the United States?
- How many martial arts schools are there in Canada?
- How many martial arts schools are there in New Zealand?
- How many martial arts schools are there in the United Kingdom?
About the author
Grand Master Stephen Oliver, MBA, is a 10th Degree Black Belt and the Founder and CEO of Mile High Karate and Martial Arts Wealth Mastery, one of the martial arts industry’s leading coaching and consulting organizations for professional martial arts school owners, BJJ academies, and MMA gyms. A martial arts school owner since 1975 and business coach since 1985, Oliver has spent more than five decades building, operating, and advising successful martial arts schools. He also serves as CEO and Chairman of NAPMA (the National Association of Professional Martial Artists) and Publisher of Martial Arts Professional magazine. A Georgetown University cum laude graduate, he earned his Executive MBA through the Executive Program at the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He was promoted to 10th Degree Black Belt in April 2026 and inducted into the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame in August 2026. Learn more at MartialArtsWealth.com and StephenCOliver.com.
