How big is the world's badminton-playing population?

Waaay below those who don't.

 

I remembered Gillian Clark cited that the world population playing badminton is just below football that makes it the number 2 most played sport in the world mainly because it is so widely played in asia...

 

There r many ppl who plays badminton,since it's a flexible sport.Just bring 2 racket,n some shuttlecock.Prepare some lines,or not at all.Simple yet energetic.Too bad that makes some ppl think of badminton as a recreational sport than being a competitive sport.

 

That's the problem, isn't it? You need a racquet for every participant and a shuttle to play with the maximum of four on each side, even when it's just recreational.

By comparison, you need only one ball (and it doesn't have to be a proper football) and as many as 20 - 30 people can run around chasing and kicking the ball. Poorer areas might use pieces of rolled up cloth or rubber.

 

503,203,403

LOL. Just kidding. But I wonder what is you of meaning "playing badminton". Like the average Joe who used to play in the back-yard once in a while, or people who play regularly in a proper facility?

 

this is an interesting research article from Australia.

http://catalogue.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2000/ascpub/pdf/badminton 2.pdf