Our national sport, the glorious game of football, contributed an estimated £820m to the Scottish economy and supported 14,315 jobs in the season 2023/2024, research has found.
And it looks as if this season – 2025/2026 – will beat this figure as Scotland’s national team heads to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer. There is growing anticipation with the Scottish Government even announcing a Public Holiday in June.
While the Scottish Premiership is in its closest contest for many seasons, with Heart of Midlothian currently holding on to the top spot, and the game supported by bumper attendances, while the rise of the Women’s Game is breaking its own records.
A Fraser of Allander Institute project— commissioned by the SPFL, SWPL and Scottish FA — found the Scottish football sector contributed £545m in gross value added (GVA) and supported 9,245 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the 2023/24 season.
This rose to £820m GVA and 14,315 FTE jobs after including fan spending related to matches across the country. That’s a lot of replica shirts and Scotch pies.
- The total turnover of the Scottish football sector was £426 million.
- The industry accounts for 20 per cent of direct sports and recreation sector GVA in Scotland.
- Attendances topped 6.8m at professional football matches involving a Scottish team in season 2023/24.
The research project was launched in 2025 to examine the contribution of the professional men’s and women’s game and the Scottish national teams to the Scottish economy.
Neil Doncaster, SPFL chief executive, said: “This research underlines the hugely significant economic contribution of our clubs and fans right across the country. It’s enormously promising to see such strong growth from the last SPFL-specific study we launched in 2020. It’s clear our member clubs and supporters, who attend matches in greater number per capita than anywhere else in Europe, bring huge benefits to businesses throughout Scotland.
Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive: “The power of Scottish football cannot be underestimated, and it is encouraging to see the huge economic benefits the national game brings to the nation as a whole and in communities across the country.
“From job creation to sustaining local and national businesses football clubs and their supporters being a significant positive impact to Scotland.
“As the national association, we see how this economic benefit drives social impact, exemplified by recent Scottish Government funding to expand Extra Time, providing breakfast and after-school clubs for children in areas of greatest need and giving parents opportunities to study, train, or work. This report is a great example of the game working together to reinforce the positive impact our clubs and fans make to Scotland.”
Fiona McIntyre, SWPL Managing Director, said: “It’s extremely encouraging to see independent research clearly demonstrating the positive economic impact of both the men’s and women’s game in Scotland.
“We are incredibly proud of the progress of the women’s game since the SWPL joined the SPFL Group in 2022/23, with growing attendances, increased investment and rising commercial interest helping to drive that contribution.
“This report reinforces that the women’s game is not only growing on the pitch but playing an increasingly important role in Scotland’s sporting and economic landscape.”
Professor Mairi Spowage, Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute, said: “This report highlights the significant and wide-ranging impact of Scottish professional football on the Scottish economy. Beyond activity on the pitch, the sport supports substantial levels of economic activity and employment across the country. The analysis helps to inform discussion about the role of professional football within the wider Scottish economy.”
The full report: https://fraserofallander.org/publications/the-economic-contribution-of-scottish-professional-football/