Involvement
Level of personal involvement in sport, including participation, support and interest.
In 2024/25, around 65% of Australians were involved in sport in some way. Not surprisingly, people who identified as sports lovers were more likely to be involved, but involvement also increased for those who identified as casual participants or not interested. Watching sport (being a spectator) remained the most frequently reported type of involvement.
Ways involved in sport in the last 12 months…
*Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select multiple forms of involvement.
Spectator - 42% - 2023/24: 38%
Player / athlete / participant - 25% - 2023/24: 23%
Volunteer - 13% - 2023/24: 12%
Parent / guardian of a young person who is involved in sport - 14% - 2023/24: 13%
Committee member - 5% - 2023/24: 6%
Umpire / referee / official - 5% - 2023/24: 4%
Coach - 5% - 2023/24: 5%
Administrator - 4% - 2023/24: 3%
Sponsor - 2% - 2023/24: 2%
Some other way - 1% - 2023/24: 0%
None of these - 35% - 2023/24: 39%
Involvement in sport in last 12 months (% of each segment involved in sport)
Definition of community segments
- Sports lovers - Have the highest interest in and enjoyment of both competitive sport and physical activity and are the most active.
- Sports participants - Quite active, highly interested in casual sport and physical activity, and as interested in participating in competitive sport as they are in watching it.
- Spectators - More interested in watching competitive sport than in competing themselves, and relatively less active than most.
- Casual participants - Also quite active, but much more interested in physical activity than they are in competitive sport.
- Not interested - Least active and least interested in any type of sport or physical activity.
Overall - 65% - 2023/24: 61%
Sports lovers - 90% - 2023/24: 88%
Sports participants - 76% - 2023/24: 70%
Spectators - 59% - 2023/24: 59%
Casual participants - 40% - 2023/24: 36%
Not interested - 18% - 2023/24: 14%
