Line up the countries where pickleball is growing fastest and all of the top 10 are in Asia. The rating system DUPR compiled the ranking from growth in new users over the past 12 months, and US outlet The Kitchen published it. The Philippines is first at 1,213% for the year, and Japan is fifth with growth of 170%. Compared with a few years ago, when talk of the global playing population centered on North America, the engine of growth has moved to Asia. For anyone playing on a court in Japan, it is also a guide to how opponents, equipment and tournaments may change from here.
All of the top 10 for growth rate are in Asia
What The Kitchen compiled is the 12-month growth rate in new users registered with DUPR. Because it ranks the speed of increase rather than the absolute playing population, emerging countries with a small base tend to post high numbers. Even so, the fact that all 10 were in Asia without exception shows entrances widening across the region at once. DUPR itself has written on its blog that growth in several Asian countries is outpacing the recent United States.
Japan is fifth, behind the Philippines, Indonesia, China and India, all large by population, and ahead of South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. The balance of power in Asia matches the pattern whereDUPR's Asian rankings showed sharp rises in South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, and Japan is one of the countries on the way up.
What the Philippines' 1,213% says about room to grow in new markets
The 1,213% of the leading Philippines is an order of magnitude above the rest. Indonesia is second at 405%, China third at 183% and India fourth at 182%, and from fifth down the figures sit in the 100s. In the Philippines, as with the home-grown brandSmash Republic launching, domestic production of equipment and the arrival of pro players have advanced together, so the path from the entrance of the sport to the top came together in a short time. The way the number jumps resembles the typical curve of a market that catches fire late and rises all at once.
Japan's 170% does not reach these explosive newcomers, but it means something that a 70% increase came on top of an already established playing population. Holding high growth in a market with a grown base is harder than jumping from zero.
Growth rates for the 10 countries compiled by DUPR
| Standing | Country | 12-month growth rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philippines | 1213% |
| 2 | Indonesia | 405% |
| 3 | China | 183% |
| 4 | India | 182% |
| 5 | Japan | 170% |
| 6 | Thailand | 170% |
| 7 | South Korea | 159% |
| 8 | Singapore | 153% |
| 9 | Malaysia | 120% |
| 10 | Vietnam | 110% |
Source: DUPR's 12-month new-user data (reported by The Kitchen). This ranks the rate of increase, not the total playing population.
Where does Japan's 170% sit in the world
Put 170% into the feel of what is happening in Japan. As Mitsui Fudosanopened Tokyo's first permanent courts in Toyosu, commercial developers and local governments have built permanent courts one after another over the past year. Free tasters drawing several times their capacity in applications have happened around the country too, and a 170% rise in registrations does not contradict that sense on the ground.
It is also worth noting that Japan sits within single digits of Thailand, tied for sixth, and South Korea in seventh. The middle group in Asia is bunched together, leaving plenty of room for the order to change on small differences in policy next year.Japan reaching the world's final four at the World Cup in Da Nangand results like it on court are starting to feed a cycle that pushes registrations higher still.
Where equipment makers and facility operators move next
With the map of growth tilted toward Asia, the effect lands directly on investment decisions by equipment brands and facility businesses. For makers of paddles and practice balls, the fastest-growing markets are where new purchases arise. Japan already has more imported paddles to choose from, and finely segmented products such as indoor balls are arriving. If the playing population keeps growing, Japanese-language support and domestic stock will follow faster.
On the facility side, the higher the growth rate, the sharper the shortage of places to play. If Asian countries hit a facility shortage at the same time, sharing court design and operating know-how and moving coaches between countries becomes realistic. Players in Japan should expect more chances to face other Asian sides, both on trips abroad and at international events at home.
What a player can do before chasing the numbers
A ranking is a thermometer for the market, not a guarantee that you will improve tomorrow. Still, in a growing market the steps line up quickly: tasters for beginners, practice sessions for intermediates, tournaments for advanced players. Japan is on that path, and registering with DUPR and building a match history now puts you in a better position for entries and level-based draws as tournaments multiply.
As a next step, get a DUPR rating at a nearby permanent court or taster session and plan your practice with the Asian tournament calendar in mind. Fifth in the world for growth is a base that makes it easier to attract international events and overseas players. The feeling behind the number, that there will be more people to play against, is worth getting ahead of on court.
Sources
The Kitchen「10 countries where pickleball is growing fastest」
