Footy is Australia’s favourite club sport
Aussies love soccer, athletics, swimming and walking.
New data shows the most popular club-based sport among Aussie adults and children is football, more commonly known down under as soccer.
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) released the first batch of findings from its latest AusPlay survey, analysing physical recreation participation and intentions.
Over 17 million Australians aged 15 or over (87%) participated in a sport or physical activity in the last 12 months, while 11.6 million Aussies (59%) did so three or more times per week.
The survey results found children are more likely to partake in organised sport-related activities outside school hours than other types of physical activity.
For all Australian sporting participants, physical health and fitness is the primary source of motivation. Aussies also see sports as fun, social activities.
For middle-aged Aussies, time constraints are a huge factor in their ability to engage in sports.
For younger adults and women, technological innovations - such as fitness trackers and calorie counters - play a popular role in monitoring and supporting physical activity.
The survey also found that Aussies hand over $10.7 billion each year in sports participation fees, although less than a third (29%) goes to sports clubs.
While football (a.k.a. soccer) is the most popular club-based sport in the country (18.8%), Aussie adults are keenest on walking (43%), while children most prefer swimming (30%).
Adults also enjoy working out at the gym (32.1%), athletics (15.8%), swimming (14.5%) and cycling (11.7%).
The least popular sport for adults is recreational dancing (1.4%) and for children it's martial arts (1%).
| Top 10 club sports (adults and children) | Population estimate | % of population | % of club sport population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Football | 1,086,986 | 4.5% | 18.8% |
| Golf | 685,732 | 2.8% | 11.9% |
| Australian Football | 635,627 | 2.6% | 11.0% |
| Netball | 625,721 | 2.6% | 10.8% |
| Tennis | 585,751 | 2.4% | 10.1% |
| Cricket | 562,669 | 2.3% | 9.7% |
| Basketball | 532,311 | 2.2% | 9.2% |
| Swimming | 267,890 | 1.1% | 4.6% |
| Rugby League | 247,883 | 1.0% | 4.3% |
| Athletics, Track and Field | 238084 | 1.0% | 4.1% |
The AusPlay survey reports on sports trends every six months, guiding key decisions within the sector.
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