Pride
Sources of pride in Australian sport.
All sport categories in 2024/25 generated feelings of pride among Australians, led by Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games athletes and teams.
The overall trends show that sentiment has now returned to the levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the moment, to what extent do you think [sports category] make Australians proud (% a lot + somewhat)
Definition of sport categories
- Casual sport and physical activity – Unstructured sport or physical activity that you can do at any time or place during the day, by yourself or with family/friends (for example, jogging, walking the dog, going to the gym, playing cricket in the park).
- Organised sport and physical activity – Structured organised sport ranging from A-grade club sport through to more social and junior sport, as well as all the types of organised physical activity that people do (for example, boot camp, gym or dance classes).
- Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games (OPC athletes) – Athletes who represent Australia at these events held every four years.
- Other Australian national athletes and teams – Athletes competing as Australia in international sport at World Championships, World Cups (excluding the Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games).
- International professional athletes – Australian athletes playing professional sport around the globe (as an individual athlete or as part of a team) in competitions and events that include international events, but they do not compete as Australia.
- Australian professional sporting codes – All the codes of sport within Australia where athletes are paid, at least to some extent, to play (for example, AFL, AFLW, NRL, NBL, WNBL).
Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games athletes and teams - 89% - 2023/24: 86% - 2022/23: 86% - 2021/22: 87% - 2020/21: 86% - 2019/20: 90%
Other Australian national athletes and teams - 85% - 2023/24: 85% - 2022/23: 82% - 2021/22: 86% - 2020/21: 85% - 2019/20: 86%
Organised sport and physical activity - 85% - 2023/24: 82% - 2022/23: 82% - 2021/22: 82% - 2020/21: 82% - 2019/20: 83%
International professional athletes - 82% - 2023/24: 80% - 2022/23: 83% - 2021/22: 80% - 2020/21: 80% - 2019/20: 84%
Australian professional sporting codes - 81% - 2023/24: 79% - 2022/23: 77% - 2021/22: 76% - 2020/21: 76% - 2019/20: 77%
Casual sport and physical activity - 80% - 2023/24: 79% - 2022/23: 78% - 2021/22: 77% - 2020/21: 77% - 2019/20: 79%
Felt more proud in 2024/25
16% reported seeing or hearing something that made them feel more proud of Australian sport than usual.
Top mentions of feeling more proud:
- Olympic Games - 24%
- Cricket (in general) - 8%
- AFL players (in general) - 7%
- Swimming - 6%
Felt less proud in 2024/25
12% reported seeing or hearing something that made them less proud of Australian sport than usual.
Top mentions of feeling less proud:
- Raygun/Breaking - 22%
- Sam Kerr - 11%
- NRL players - 10%
- AFL players - 9%
