65% of Australians aged 15 years and over participate in physical activities for recreation, exercise or sport. Overall, men had a higher participation rate for sport and physical recreation compared with women (66% and 64% respectively) and there is a general tendency for participation rates to fall with age. Over three quarters (78%) of people aged 15-17 years participate in sport and physical recreation, significantly higher than for people aged 65 years and over (50%).
60% of children aged 5-14 years participate in at least one sport outside of school hours that has been organised by a school, club or association. The participation rate for boys exceeds that for girls both overall and within each age group category.
Children aged 9-11 years were those most likely to participate in sport with a participation rate of 66%, exceeding the rates for both 5-8 year olds (56%) and 12-14 year olds (60%). |