The number of female coaches at all levels in the UK has fallen sharply, new research shows.

Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of UK Coaching shows that the proportion of female coaches has dropped from 44% in 2022 to 38% in 2024, a 6% drop in two years.

The news comes ahead of a big year for women’s sport, including Euro 2025 in Switzerland and the Rugby World Cup in England.

Heather Douglas, head of coaching and policy at the British Coaching Association, said: “Understanding the changing landscape of our coaches helps us understand how best to support them at every level.”

“We appreciate your insights, which demonstrate that while coaches are receiving increasing recognition, opportunities and support on many issues, there is still a long way to go to ensure a representative and equal workforce.

“With the close support of our partners, we must redouble our efforts to actively embed inclusive and representative working standards. Coaching provides incredible health and social value to our society – everyone must have the opportunity to do this Contribute and benefit from it.”

In 2023, FA data shows that sky sports newsshows there are more than 5,000 female coaches working in England, with nearly 4,000 training men’s and women’s teams.

But no one goes beyond semi-professional level, and that’s still the case.

In response to the research, Coaches UK has reiterated its commitment to supporting the industry in tackling the inequalities and barriers faced by female coaches at all levels.

Coach UK has developed a gender impact strategy to create an inclusive and diverse coaching environment, promote equity and drive systemic change.

UK Coaching has also partnered with UK Sport to support 60 junior and high-performing female coaches in 2024 and is undertaking further research activities to identify and address the root causes of gender disparities.

The positive results of the study confirm that coaches’ job remuneration has increased, with the proportion rising from 38% in 2022 to 53% in 2024.