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Participation in exercise, recreation and sport in NSW, 2007

All sport and physical activity:

  • 4,176,600 people participated in sport or physical activity in 2007
  • this was a participation rate of 77.9% (approximately four out of every five people aged 15 and over participated in sport or physical in the 12 months in 2007)

NSW had the eighth highest participation rates (77.9%) behind ACT (86.0%), WA (80.6%), NT (80.5%), Queensland (80.4%), Victoria (79.7%), SA (79.3%) and Tasmania (78.4%). The average for Australia was 79.4%.

The most popular sports/physical activities in NSW in 2007 were:

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

Participation rates tend to decrease with age:

  • 15 - 24 years – 81.8%
  • 25 - 34 years – 83.0%
  • 35 - 44 years – 82.3%
  • 45 - 54 years – 75.2%
  • 55 - 64 years – 75.8%
  • 65 years and over – 67.7%

Participation rates are similar for both genders with a slightly higher rate for males than females – 79.5% for all males aged 15 and over compared to 76.3% females.

Although 77.9% of the NSW population aged 15 years and over participated at least once in 2007, less than half the population (42.5%) participated the recommended three times a week to achieve a health-enhancing benefit.

Organised sport in NSW:

  • 1,981,600 people participated in organised sport in 2007
  • this was a participation rate of 36.9% (just under the national average of 38.0%)
  • this was a decrease on the previous year's rate of 38.9%

NSW (36.9%) was seventh out of all States and Territories behind ACT (43.2%), WA (40.8%), NT (39.8%), Victoria (39.3%), Tasmania (38.3%) and SA (37.7%) and ahead of Queensland (36.5%).

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

 

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