Cost (direct financial and time)

A 2023 survey by the Australian Sports Commission of 6,600 individuals found that sport being ‘too expensive to play/buy gear’ was the most identified barrier. ¹

'Cost' is consistently identified in the literature as a barrier to sport and physical activity participation, although financial cost is not always the primary consideration. ^{2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

The 'cost' of sport can include:

• Time – commitment to organised sports participation is often seen as a 'cost' and therefore, becomes a potential barrier. This includes the time commitment of the player or volunteer and – in the case of a child – the time commitment of parents/family. ^{3, 7, 23}
• Financial investment – registration fees, uniforms, equipment, game fees, etc. Specific financial costs vary by sport, age of participant, and location. ^{1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14}
• Travel - additional costs associated with transportation (petrol, time, public transport fees). ^{3, 9, 10, 12, 15}
• Opportunity – the cost of other activities that participants could be doing instead (e.g. study, unstructured time with friends or family, working). ^{3, 6, 12, 16, 17}
• Service – volunteering within the sports club system, especially among parents, can also be perceived as a social obligation, where individuals feel compelled to volunteer time, over-and-above the monetary outlay for sport. ^{6, 8}

Emerging trends suggest that these various 'cost' factors, and cost-of-living increases, have made alternative forms of physical activity and recreation in less structured environments (compared to clubs) more attractive. ^{4, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20}

AusPlay

There is limited detailed data available on the direct financial costs of sport participation, especially how costs vary between different sports/activities or geographical location (e.g. states, territories, regional, metropolitan). ^{2, 4}

The Australian Sports Commission's AusPlay survey collects information on the amounts individuals and parents report paying for themselves or their children to participate in sport and physical activities.

In 2024: ²²

• 52% of Australians aged 15 years and over, who participated in sport or physical activity at least once in the previous 12 months, paid to participate. The average (mean) cost per year was $1478. Average total spending was highest for people aged 35-44 years ($2203). 
• 74% of participating children (0-14 years) paid to play organised sport and physical activities outside of school hours at least once in the previous 12 months. The average (mean) amount paid to participate was $1065. Parents appear to spend more on girls' activities ($1174) than boys’ ($964). 

Impact on different population groups

Australian and international research have identified how various costs can impact different groups within the population. ^{7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 24}

There may also be additional intersectional factors that can make cost more or less of a barrier to participation (e.g. the intersection of living in a rural or regional area and being in a higher or lower income household). ^{2, 12, 13, 24, 25, 26}

Clearinghouse for Sport topics with additional information on cost as a factor influencing participation include:

• Australia's First Nations Peoples and Sport. Cost, including time (to participate, but also as competing commitments to family, community, or work), transportation, fees, uniforms, equipment, etc. can all impact on the participation of First Nations individuals.
• Socio-economic Status and Sport. Socio-economic status is often seen as part of an intersectional understanding of how multiple factors can impact on an individual’s experience of discrimination or privilege in different aspects of their lives, including sport and physical activity participation.
• Sport and persons with disability. For participants with disability there are often additional costs on top of those that all participants might have (e.g. registration fees, uniforms, etc.). For example, transportation, specialised equipment, additional entrance fees if they need someone to provide assistance can all be additional costs that need to be covered by individuals, families, or organisations who want to encourage participation.
• Volunteers in Sport. Two of the most frequently identified barriers to volunteering are costs (out-of-pocket expenses, travel, meals, training, specialist software/equipment) and time.
• Women in Sport. The cost of childcare, transport, specific clothing/equipment and the expense of training and competitions are barriers that have been identified for women and girls.
• Cost of Sports Injuries. The benefits of sport and physical activity are well established, but the risk of injury associated with participation are also real and can have significant personal and societal costs.

Mitigating financial costs

Recognising that financial cost is often a barrier several Australian state and territory governments currently offer 'sport vouchers' to help off-set the costs of children participating in sport. Evidence from program evaluations and surveys of parents/guardians suggest these programs are generally useful and well received. ^{9, 27, 28, 33, 34}

More information is available in the Clearinghouse for Sport Grants and Funding for Sport and Recreation topic.

Some other suggestions for mitigating financial costs include:

• Repurposing/recycling good condition uniforms and equipment. ^{29, 35}
• Providing financial discounts to individuals or families in return for volunteer time. ^{29, 35}
• Offering long-term, free, or low-cost programs especially through schools or on school grounds. ^{13, 30, 32}
• Subsidising or providing transport. ^{14, 30, 31}
• Having different pricing strategies, payment plans, or options to subsidise fees for individuals or families. ³⁵

Resources and reading