Mobile Menu

Business Environment Profiles - Australia

Sport participation

Published: 16 May 2024

Key Metrics

Sport participation

Total (2024)

80 Percentage

Annualized Growth 2019-24

-0.6 %

Definition of Sport participation

This report analyses the percentage of the Australian population that participates in sports and physical recreation, including walking, jogging and running, at least once per week during the financial year. The data for this report is sourced from Sport Australia and is measured in percentage points for each financial year.

Analyze the wider world in which businesses operate

We measure the upstream and downstream ramifications on thousands of industries so businesses can monitor their external operating environment. Explore membership options today.

Purchase options

Included in an IBISWorld Membership

Our industry reports include 35+ pages of data, analysis and charts, including:

  • Industry Financial Ratios
    Industry Financial Ratios
  • Historical and Forecast Growth
    Historical and Forecast Growth
  • Industry Market Size
    Industry Market Size
  • Industry Major Players
    Industry Major Players
  • Profitability Analysis
    Profitability Analysis
  • SWOT Analysis
    SWOT Analysis
  • Industry Trends
    Industry Trends
  • Industry Operating Conditions
    Industry Operating Conditions

IBISWorld Premium Data

You need a Membership for access
to this data.

  • Access to your choice of 632
    industry reports
  • Access to full library of 185
    Business Environment Profiles

Get Started with an IBISWorld Membership today!

PURCHASE OPTIONS CONTACT US NOW
IBISWorld
Premium Data

You need a Membership for
access to this data.

Get Started with an IBISWorld Membership today!
PURCHASE OPTIONS

Recent Trends – Sport participation

IBISWorld forecasts Australia's sport participation to rise by 0.90 percentage points in 2023-24, to 79.6% of the population. Sport participation is expected to gradually improve this year following four consecutive years of declines. The gradual normalisation of participation conditions following the easing of conditions tied to COVID-19 is expected to boost participation. Upward trends in health consciousness are expected to encourage growth in sport participation rates. However, cost-of-living pressures are likely to cause Australians to reduce expenditure on sports and physical recreation.

Sports participation declined for the first time in a decade in 2019-20. This was primarily due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Federal and State Government mandated lockdowns led to the suspension of community and amateur sports competitions and the closure of sports and recreation facilities. As many of these restrictions continued on into 2020-21 in some states, sports participation fell further during that year. However, exercising remained one of the few activities for which households could leave their homes, partially mitigating the decline over the period.

Sports participation rates increased at the start of the period. This was supported by state and federal initiatives, such as Sporting Schools, Move It AUS and VicHealth's program to increase female participation in sport. In April 2019, the Federal Government announced a $385.4 million package to boost sport and physical activity in Australia. As part of this funding, the Sporting Schools program received a further $40 million to extend the program through to 2020 and help boost national sports participation. Additionally, the introduction of the Women's Big Bash League in 2015-16, the start of the AFL Women's League in 2016-17 and the establishment of the NRL Women's Premiership have driven greater female participation in sport, constraining the overall decline in sporting participation. In particular, female participation on a weekly basis has grown strongly, with female participation in sport at least three times a week increasing over the three years through 2019-20.

Rising health consciousness has supported sport participation over the past five years. Physical health and fitness is a key motivation for many people taking up sports and physical recreation, with nearly two-thirds of adults citing it as one of their motivations for participation. Much of the growth in sport participation over the past five years has stemmed from physical recreation. Recreational walking for exercise is the most popular form of physical recreation, while running and jogging is the second most popular form of physical recreation. Cycling, bush walking and swimming are the next most popular types of sport and physical recreation. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts sport participation to decline at an average annual rate of 0.60 percentage points over the five years through 2023-24.

Show more

5-Year Outlook – Sport participation

IBISWorld forecasts participation in sport to increase by 0.5 percentage points in 2024-25, to re...

Looking for IBISWorld Industry Reports?

Gain strategic insight and analysis on thousands of industries.

Trusted by More Than 10,000 Clients Around the World

  • IBISWorld client - VISA
  • IBISWorld client - ADP
  • IBISWorld client - Deloitte
  • IBISWorld client - AMEX
  • IBISWorld client - Bank of Montreal