Jose Sanchez
Research expert covering society, economy, & politics for Latin America
Volleyball - statistics & facts
Originating in the United States, volleyball is nowadays enjoyed by people around the world. The sport can be played on a number of different surfaces, with team sizes ranging from two to six players. The international governing body for volleyball, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 2021, the FIVB’s total revenue amounted to nearly 25 million euros, with income significantly impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Sales of volleyball equipment also stretch into the millions, with wholesale sales of volleyball balls and sets in the United States exceeding 93 million U.S. dollars in 2022.
How many people play volleyball in the United States?
In 2022, the most popular type of volleyball in the United States was court (or indoor) volleyball, with nearly 6.1 million participants over the course of the year. Volleyball is popular among younger people, and it was the second-most popular high school sport for girls in the United States in 2022. In addition, the global attendance record for women’s sporting events was broken by a college volleyball game, with a crowd of over 92,000 turning up to watch the University of Nebraska defeat Omaha in August 2023.Which country has the most Olympic medals for volleyball?
Indoor volleyball has been an Olympic event since 1964, while beach volleyball has been an event since 1992. As of 2023, the Soviet Union still held the record for the most volleyball Olympic medals, despite having not competed since 1988. In the Olympic beach volleyball medal table, two nations dominate: the United States and Brazil. While many of the highest-ranked women’s beach volleyball teams were from these nations, the top spot in the men’s rankings was occupied by a team from Norway: Anders Mol and Christian Sørum.
