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Participation in exercise, recreation and sport in NSW, 2006

All sport and physical activity:

  • 4,403,100 people participated in sport or physical activity in 2006
  • this was a participation rate of 79.4% (approximately four out of every five people aged 15 and over participated in sport or physical in the 12 months in 2006)

NSW and NT had the sixth highest participation rates (both at 79.4%) behind ACT (87.0%), WA (83.6%), Tasmania (81.5%), Victoria (81.4%) and SA (79.7%) and ahead of Queensland (79.3%). The average for Australia was 80.5%.
The most popular sports/physical activities in NSW in 2006 were:

  1. Walking (other than bushwalking)
  2. Aerobics/fitness
  3. Swimming
  4. Cycling
  5. Golf
  6. Running
  7. Tennis
  8. Soccer (outdoor)
  9. Bushwalking
  10. Touch Football

Participation rates tend to decrease with age:

  • 15 - 24 years – 89.7%
  • 25 - 34 years – 77.5%
  • 35 - 44 years – 82.2%
  • 45 - 54 years - 84.4%
  • 55 - 64 years – 77.6%
  • 65 years and over – 64.6%

Participation rates are similar for both genders with a slightly higher rate for males than females – 80.5% for all males aged 15 and over compared to 78.3% females.

Although 79.4% of the NSW population aged 15 years and over participated at least once in 2006, less than half the population (41.4%) participated the recommended three times a week to achieve a health-enhancing benefit.
Organised sport in NSW:

  • 2,156,400 people participated in organised sport in 2006
  • this was a participation rate of 38.9% (just under the national average of 39.1%)
  • this was a decrease on the previous year's rate of 41.7%

NSW (38.9%) was 5th out of all States and Territories behind WA (43.8%), ACT (42.7%), NT (41.5%) and Victoria (40.7%) and ahead of SA (38.8%), Queensland (35.2%) and Tasmania (34.0%).

Footnotes: (a) "organised' sports and physical activities are those organised by a club, association or other type of organisation.

 

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