How many players have been in your group?

Basically the title - I was wondering how many different players have cycled through your group since you started playing and what the average is.

In my current group, I started with six, one a first-time player. The first-time player dropped out very quickly after the first few sessions, but more due to scheduling issues than a dislike of the game. He just couldn't make it. Then another dropped out, also scheduling issues, although I wasn't too sad about that one because he had begged me over and over and eventually I gave in (I didn't want him in because he train wrecked some of my friend's games before). More recently, I had another player join in, and so far he's been pretty great.

The max my group ever had was 8 plus the DM. We’re down to six now with one playing off and on; one basically quit. and life keeps getting in the way for the other. Also, two of my friends from outside the game have shown interest in sitting in, and I know the host’s wife would join in if her work schedule allowed it. So, yeah, we have a big table!

I started with 2 separate groups, one with 3 people in where one person had to leave due to life stuff and got replace with my niece. Then I started another group as someone who should have join the first decided they did want to play d&d. So I did a group of 2/ 3 plus me the dm. This is when I was using the starter kit with lost mines of phandelever in (the older version). I then went on to do a bigger campaign Storm Kings Thunder.  For that I combine the groups.  So now its 6 players and dm. We just about squeeze around the dining room table. 

We are nearing the end of that campaign and two people at work have shown interest in playing d&d. I joyfully said they can try it when we start the new game. With no idea how they'll fit around the table .😆

I run for my high school club,

7 with Dm peak was 8 one left due to not likening the game I have run for 10 as a one shot

I started with 8 (including DM). Now down to 7 including DM. Been that way for about a year or so.

In my primary Campaign, we started with 6, then 2 joined after the first session, and now 2 years into it, we just lost 1.

In the Starter Game I just launched last week to teach some new players, there are 4 characters, and i hope that doesn't change.

Cheers!

The one I DM has had a lot of turnover. Me and 6 player spots, and in 1.5 years, there’s going to soon be 11 players. Four have been there since the start, just the other 2 seats keep rotating. A couple moves out of state, one had his work schedule change a week after he started playing, one realized the commute was worse than he’d anticipated, another couple were overcommitted. 
The game I play in, some of us have been together for more than 10 years, others come and go every so often. I find a level of turnover to be pretty common. 
And those are just my current games, if I were to try and think back over all the people I’ve played with in various groups since the 80’s, the number of people and amount of turnover would get very, very high.
Keeping a group going really comes down to the DM being willing and able to recruit new players. 

As far as an average, I doubt there is one. Every group is going to be different, but some degree of turnover is inevitable.