Scottish Premiership tops European attendances per capita for third year running

Scottish football supporters have achieved the highest per capita attendance in Europe for the third consecutive year, according to the SPFL. Citing a UEFA report, the league body highlighted that Scotland's top-flight matches attracted significantly more attendees relative to its population than any other European league.

The latest UEFA European Club Talent and Competition Landscape report, first launched in 2023, revealed that the Scottish Premiership recorded 18.5 attendees per 1,000 people last season. This represents a 5% increase from the previous campaign, surpassing the European average growth of 3%, and is 70% higher than any other league on the continent.

Portugal's Primeira Liga ranked second with 10.7 attendees per 1,000 people, followed by the Netherlands' Eredivisie in third with 9.77 attendees per 1,000 people. England's Premier League recorded 6.97 attendees per 1,000 people. In absolute numbers, around 3.9 million fans attended top-flight matches in Scotland last season, the eighth highest in Europe, with an average league attendance of 17,303, ranking seventh on the continent.

SPFL Group Chief Executive Neil Doncaster praised the passion and commitment of Scottish football supporters, noting that the SPFL William Hill Premiership continues to lead Europe in per capita attendance by a significant margin. He emphasized that Scottish football attendances have consistently exceeded expectations for many years, with three record-breaking seasons, and the league aims to build on this momentum.

The SPFL also reported a record total of 5,336,353 attendees across all SPFL matches last season, an increase of 185,000 from the previous season.