Top Countries by IBJJF-Registered BJJ Academies (2026)

Brazil has the most IBJJF-registered academy records, with 4,502, followed by the United States with 2,400. Together they account for 70.4% of the ranked snapshot. The figures come from the public IBJJF registered-academy directory captured on July 22, 2026.

The API returned 9,806 unique academy records across 114 source-defined countries and territories. Every record had a country code, so all 9,806 could be included in the ranking.

How we counted IBJJF-registered academies

The primary source is the IBJJF registered-academy directory. We captured the current public API results on July 22, 2026, and calculated the country totals locally. Only aggregate calculations are published here, without academy profiles, addresses, contact details, or source records.

The method follows these rules:

• Count each unique academy ID once, even if the same academy appears during more than one API request.
• Group each academy by the current countryAbbr value returned by the public directory API.
• Exclude records without a country code from country totals, while retaining them in the complete snapshot count.
• Normalize country names for display without changing the underlying country code or count.
• Retain territories as separate entries when the source gives them their own code.
• Assign the same rank to equal counts and retain every tie at the published cutoff.

We did not combine this dataset with another directory or divide the totals by population. Percentages use the 9,806 academies with a country code as their denominator.

Countries with the most IBJJF-registered BJJ academies

The interactive map includes every ranked country and an exact-value table. The table below focuses on the leading countries and retains any tie at the cutoff.

1. Brazil

Brazil accounts for 4,502 of the 9,806 ranked academy records, or 45.9%. Its total is 2,102 higher than the United States and almost 1.9 times as large.

2. United States

The United States has 2,400 records, equal to 24.5% of the ranking. Brazil and the United States together contribute 6,902 entries, which is just over seven in every ten records with a country assigned.

3. Japan

Japan ranks third with 356 academies, or 3.6% of the ranked total. The difference between the United States and Japan is 2,044 records, which shows how heavily the directory is concentrated in its first two countries.

4. United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has 253 records and a 2.6% share. It has the highest count among European countries in the snapshot, 51 ahead of sixth-place Portugal.

5. Canada

Canada completes the top five with 205 records, or 2.1%. It is only three academies ahead of Portugal. The five leading countries together account for 7,716 records, equal to 78.7% of the ranking.

For a more detailed look inside the United States, see our separate analysis of the US states and cities with the most BJJ gym listings. That article uses another directory snapshot, so its total should not be added to or directly compared with this IBJJF ranking.

How we handled countries and territories

The grouping follows the country codes supplied by IBJJF. A territory with its own source code remains separate rather than being folded into a sovereign state. This choice preserves the source categories and makes the calculation reproducible.

The map uses boundaries from Natural Earth. Small territories and source codes without a matching map shape remain available in the exact-value table even when they cannot be drawn clearly at world scale. Map geometry affects presentation, not the ranking.

Other BJJ academy directories

No single directory contains every academy that teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu. We reviewed these sources separately and did not merge their records into the IBJJF totals:

• MatMade maintains a broader location directory with its own verification and inclusion rules.
• BJJ Metrics uses a separate gym dataset and classification method.
• Gyms.JiuJitsu.com has independent coverage and an update schedule that may differ from IBJJF.

Differences between directories can reflect affiliation requirements, duplicate handling, closed locations, shared facilities, and multi-location businesses.

What this country ranking cannot tell us

The snapshot measures directory records, not academy quality, student enrollment, instructor credentials, competition results, mat capacity, or business health. An IBJJF listing also does not confirm that a school was open and accepting students on the capture date.

Raw country totals are affected by population, federation participation, directory coverage, and how organizations register locations. They should not be read as per-capita participation rates or as evidence that one country offers better instruction than another.

Use the ranking as a documented view of one directory at one point in time. If you are evaluating where to open or grow a school, continue with our practical guide to starting a BJJ academy.