Sport and active recreation participation

IBISWorld forecasts New Zealanders' sport and active recreation participation to fall by 0.4 percentage points in 2025-26, to 72.8% of the population aged 18 and over. This is a slight downwards correction after, in recent years, there was a temporary uplift to sport and active recreation participation driven by major events like the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as ongoing recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health consciousness among New Zealanders has trended upwards over the past five years, positively influencing sport and active recreation participation. Growing participation in non-organised physical activity (like running, gym and swimming) and group fitness classes (like yoga and Pilates) has outpaced participation in organised sports over the period. Major sporting events like the Rugby, Cricket World Cups, the summer/winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games have boosted the visibility of and participation in sports. The Central Government (Te Kawanatanga o Aotearoa)'s 2020 Budget included $264.6 million in funding to be distributed over four years, aimed at rebuilding the sports sector, which has supported participation rates. A rising proportion of New Zealand adults agree that being active benefits their physical and emotional wellbeing, while more report finding inspiration and positive role models in successful New Zealand sports teams and athletes. Work and family commitments taking priority over physical activity are the most common barriers to participation, according to Sport New Zealand. The rising use of electronic devices for hobbies and interests like computer and console games, mobile phone apps, streaming services and traditional media, including television, has dampened sport and active recreation participation rates as these can be more appealing for some people. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts participation in sport and active recreation to climb at an average annual rate of 0.03 percentage points over the five years through 2025-26. However, this increase was not matched by improvements in time spent being active, number of activities or adherence to physical activity guidelines, all of which have declined to below pre-pandemic levels.