Sport participation trends and the public value of keeping Australia active

More Australians than ever are physically active, yet fewer are participating in organised, club-based sport, particularly the traditional competitive sports that have long underpinned community life.

This shift matters. While informal physical activity delivers important health benefits, organised sport plays a distinct public role by supporting regular participation, social connection, volunteering, skill development and long-term wellbeing. If current trends continue, declining participation in organised sport risks higher healthcare costs, weaker social cohesion and increased pressure on government services over the next decade.

For policymakers and public administrators, understanding these participation trends and responding effectively is essential to protecting the future wellbeing of Australian communities.

Participation is increasing, but regular sport is declining

Australians are more active overall, with national data showing that participation in physical activity has increased significantly over the past decade. In 2013-14, around 60 per cent of adults participated in some form of physical activity at least once a year. By 2022-23, this had risen to around 85 per cent. This growth has been driven primarily by informal, non-organised activities such as walking, gym-based exercise, jogging and casual recreation.

However, regular participation has declined. In 2023, around 66 per cent were physically active at least once per week, down sharply from pre-pandemic levels, 81 per cent in 2018-19. Fewer than half of adults now exercise three or more times per week, indicating weaker habit formation and less sustained engagement in physical activity.

Organised sport participation has stalled

Adult participation in organised sport through clubs or competitions has remained flat or declined over the past decade. Around 26 per cent of adults participated in organised sport in 2013-14. By 2019, this had fallen to approximately 22 per cent. While participation recovered modestly following pandemic disruptions, it remains well below earlier levels.

Only a small proportion of adults participate in organised sport on a regular basis. Around 10 to 15 per cent of adults play sport weekly in traditional club or competition settings. National reviews have warned that, without policy intervention, organised sport participation could decline a further 10 per cent by 2030.

The result is a widening drop off in regular physical activity and participation in structured, community-based sport.

Children’s participation has not fully recovered

Participation trends among children and young people raise particular concern. In 2016-17, around 70 per cent of children participated in organised sport or physical activity outside school hours at least once per week. By 2019-20, this had fallen significantly to around 47 per cent, before declining further to 42 per cent during the COVID-19 period.

While participation has partially recovered since 2022, sitting at around 55 per cent, it remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Many children who disengaged from organised sport have not returned, increasing the risk of lower physical activity levels as they move into adolescence and adulthood.

A structural shift from organised sport to recreation

The way Australians stay active has fundamentally changed. Informal physical activities are growing rapidly, while traditional organised sports are struggling to retain participants, particularly through later teenage years and beyond early adulthood.

This shift is not inherently negative. Informal exercise plays an important role in supporting general fitness and wellbeing. However, organised sport offers benefits that informal activity does not consistently replicate, including higher intensity activity, regular participation, social connection and structured pathways for children and young people.

If children and adolescents who leave organised sport do not replace it with equivalent levels of physical activity, their overall participation is likely to decline over time. This increases long-term risks associated with obesity, chronic disease and poor mental health. The challenge for government is to ensure that a decline in formal sport does not result in a less active younger generation.

Uneven impacts across communities

Declining participation in organised sport does not affect all Australians equally. Children from lower income households, regional and remote communities, and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds consistently record lower participation rates than their peers.

Cost remains a significant barrier. Participation in organised sport often involves registration fees, uniforms, equipment and travel. Household spending on sport and physical recreation has risen sharply in recent years, placing pressure on family budgets. Cost of living pressures have led many families to reduce or reconsider their children’s involvement in organised sport.

Access is another challenge. Families in regional and outer suburban areas often face longer travel times and higher costs to participate in competitions. Cultural barriers and perceptions of exclusion can further limit participation among some demographic groups.

Without targeted intervention, declining organised sport participation risks widening existing health and social inequalities, with long-term implications for government services.

Why organised sport delivers public value

It is tempting to argue that if people remain physically active, the decline in organised sport is not a major concern. While any physical activity is better than none, this view underestimates the broader public value of organised sport.

Sustained participation and healthy habits

Organised sport encourages regular, sustained engagement. While most Australians participate in some physical activity over the course of a year, far fewer maintain consistent weekly involvement. Club based sport reinforces routine, commitment and long-term habit formation, which are critical for achieving lasting health benefits.

Social connection and volunteering

Community sports clubs are major hubs of social connection and civic engagement. They bring together people from different backgrounds, strengthen local identity and foster a sense of belonging. Sport is also one of Australia’s largest sources of volunteering, with millions of Australians contributing time as coaches, officials and administrators each year.

For children and young people, clubs often provide safe, supportive environments where mentoring relationships and friendships develop across generations. Participation in organised sport has been linked to improved mental health, confidence and social wellbeing.

Skills for life and leadership

Team sports help build transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership, resilience and communication. Evidence suggests that participation in sport during childhood and adolescence is associated with positive outcomes later in life, including workforce participation and leadership capability. These broader capability benefits reinforce the role of sport as an investment in human and social capital.

Implications for government

If declining participation in organised sport continues unchecked, the impacts will be felt across multiple policy domains.

• Health: Lower levels of sustained physical activity are associated with higher rates of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Physical inactivity already places significant pressure on the health system, and current trends suggest this burden will increase over time
• Education: Participation in organised sport supports educational outcomes by improving concentration, confidence and engagement. Reduced participation, particularly among girls and disadvantaged groups, may contribute to poorer wellbeing and learning outcomes
• Community safety and social services: Sport provides structure, positive peer networks and early intervention opportunities for at-risk young people. Declining participation may increase social isolation and reduce protective factors that help prevent antisocial behaviour
• Local government and infrastructure: Councils invest heavily in sporting facilities such as ovals, courts, pools and clubrooms. Falling club membership risks under‑utilisation of these assets, while demand grows for alternative forms of recreation infrastructure. Strategic planning is required to ensure continued public value from existing investments.

Strategic responses for government and the sport sector

Responding to these trends requires coordinated action across government and the sport system. Several strategic levers stand out.

• Reduce barriers to participation: Making sport easier to access is critical. Flexible scheduling, shorter seasons, modified formats and simplified registration processes can help organised sport better align with modern family life
• Address cost pressures: Targeted subsidies and voucher programs can significantly improve access for low-income families. Programs such as Victoria’s Get Active Kids demonstrate how financial support can enable participation that would otherwise not occur
• Use existing facilities more effectively: Greater sharing of school and community facilities can increase access and improve returns on infrastructure investment. Multi-use sports hubs, improved lighting, and inclusive amenities can extend participation opportunities without the need for new builds
• Modernise sport offerings: Social and modified sport formats can attract participants who value flexibility, inclusion and enjoyment over formal competition. These formats have proven effective in reengaging women, older adults and time poor participants
• Integrate sport into preventive policy: Most importantly, governments should treat community sport and physical activity as essential preventive health and social infrastructure. Investment in participation delivers long-term dividends across health, education, community safety and social cohesion.

How BDO can help

In an environment of constrained budgets and complex social challenges, support for sport and physical activity remains one of the few policy areas that delivers multiple, reinforcing benefits. Keeping Australians physically active and socially connected through sport is not a luxury. It is a strategic investment in the nation’s long-term wellbeing.

Doing what is most important means recognising the enduring public value of organised sport and ensuring it remains accessible, inclusive and relevant for future generations.

Find out how BDO's project & infrastructure advisory, sports & entertainment team can help governments and sports organisations respond strategically to changing participation patterns.