The 5 fastest growing countries in clay shooting

It turns out our obsession with the sport of clay shooting isn’t confined to us alone. So grab a coffee and pull up a chair and let’s talk about the countries where millions of people are sharing the pain of missing a sitter and the buzz of bagging a straight.

The global shooting market is projected to reach nearly £6.8 billion ($8.5 billion) by 2035, driven by a massive 42% surge in recreational demand. The global squad is growing at pace in these locations:

The growth here is staggering. China is already the world’s 2nd largest exporter of clays, moving over £250 million ($320 million) worth of targets in 2024 alone. Supported by government training programs and massive infrastructure investment, they aren’t just making ranges; they’re engineering world-class facilities specifically for Olympic disciplines.

Many shooters are watching China carefully to see if they replicate their many successes on snooker tables around the world on the clay grounds.

India is the fastest-growing powerhouse in the squad. Fact.

They recently sent a massive contingent of 164 shooters to the Asian Shooting Championships – the largest of any nation. With major new facilities and serious government investment in academies, clay disciplines like trap and skeet are exploding. The shotgun demand here is projected to see significant growth, hitting over £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) by 2034.

Some dub clay shooting as the ‘new cricket‘ in India so there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing some big scores coming along from our fellow shooters over there.

The market is expanding with national competitions and a huge spike in youth engagement – which is awesome. South Korea is already a major destination for clay exports, with a market value increase of $4.11 million in just one year.

It’ll be great to see some of the new young talent from SK hitting the grounds around the world over the coming months & years.

While already an established sport Down Under, Australia is seeing a big increase in clay shooting. The Australian Clay Target Association (ACTA) reported over 2,100 new member registrations in 2024 alone. Along with South Korea, Australia is sustaining steady niche upgrades to its facilities to keep up with growing the demand.

Maybe an Ashes-style clay shooting comp will be coming our way soon…

The Middle East is playing the long game. The UAE and Qatar are investing in world-class shooting facilities that make some local straw bale shoots like relics. The region is expected to see a 9.7% CAGR in shooting range growth, with the UAE attracting massive numbers of tourists and recreational shooters.

Let’s be fair, the’ve got the space and the track record of investment. And how cool would it be to be out in the desert smoking clays in the heat? Let’s hope they make grounds that aren’t all green and keep some of the yellow stuff to mix things up.

Beyond the top 5, we’re seeing puffs of black smoke in plenty of other spots too:

This region is the fastest-growing market for sports tourism, with a projected revenue of £51 million ($64.2 million) by 2033 as interest in recreational and hunting-style shooting sports continues to climb. Brazil is expected to lead this regional surge with a 16.4% annual growth rate.

Still the traditional heart of our sport, Europe accounts for 30% of global market share. Italy alone represents a £240 million ($300 million) market, and in the UK, shooting generally remains a powerhouse worth £3.3 billion annually to the economy, supporting 67,000 full-time jobs.

It’s great to see the sport we’re obsessed with expanding across the globe. Whether it’s massive investments in Asia or the march of the £3.3 billion powerhouse we’ve built in the UK, it means more shooters are joining the squad. More people means better gear, more innovation and more mates to share a laugh with.

With many sports seeing a decline in recent years, it just goes to show that when you ‘get the bug‘ for shooting it really is very contagious.