British Sauna Society launches national survey to track the UK’s evolving sauna culture

The British Sauna Society has launched a long-term research project designed to build a clearer picture of how people across the UK experience, understand and participate in sauna culture.

The British Sauna Bather Survey 2026 will establish a benchmark against which changes in the country’s bathing culture can be measured over the coming years. More than 350 people have already responded, with the Society now encouraging further participation from sauna users across the UK.

Rather than operating as a one-off consumer poll, the survey has been developed as an impact-tracking and accountability tool. It will help the organisation examine how a distinctly British sauna culture is emerging, how it changes as the sector grows and which practical or social barriers may be preventing more people from taking part.

The results will also be used to measure progress against the British Sauna Society’s mission of making the physical, mental and social benefits of sauna accessible to more people.

Alongside its wider research purpose, the survey will provide an opportunity for members and bathers to influence the Society’s priorities. Early analysis is already said to be revealing a number of notable patterns, including responses relating to sauna and neurodivergence. The Society has not yet released a detailed breakdown, with additional responses being sought before the findings are developed and reported.

The project has been completed in collaboration with Impact Consulting and University of Roehampton students Dakarai Simmonds and Piranavan Ratnarajah, who have been working with the Society as interns.

Its launch comes during a period of significant expansion for the UK sauna sector. The British Sauna Society now counts more than 600 publicly accessible saunas through its UK Sauna Map, encompassing urban bathhouses, beach and lakeside saunas, community venues and facilities within the wider spa and wellness market. The growing emphasis on community is also supported by research published in 2026. A series of studies involving 1,907 UK sauna users found that shared ritual, emotional synchrony and a stronger sense of sauna identity were associated with social connection and self-reported improvements in physical and emotional wellbeing. By gathering evidence directly from bathers, the new survey is expected to help the Society understand whether the growth in venues is translating into wider and more inclusive participation, while giving sauna operators and the broader wellness industry greater insight into what UK consumers want from the developing culture.

The British Sauna Bather Survey 2026 can be completed through the British Sauna Society website here.