Sport participation hits record high of 49% - and we have teenagers and young adults to thank
• Active sports participation has reached its highest level ever with 49% of the population taking part in sport on a weekly basis
• Increasing number of teenagers and young adults, the highest participation rate of all age groups
Today Sport Ireland reveals the results of its Irish Sports Monitor 2024 survey, which shows that active sports participation has reached its highest ever level – with 49% of the population taking part in sport on a weekly basis in 2024, up from 47% in 2023.
This increase in sports participation is buoyed by the increasing number of teenagers and young adults in Ireland, who have the highest sports participation rates of all age groups. The rise in active sports participation means Ireland is on track to hit the 50% target laid out in the National Sports Policy 2018 – 2027.
Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy, Charlie McConalogue said: “The annual launch of the Irish Sports Monitor by Sport Ireland since its inception in 2007 is an important event in the sporting calendar. It provides a snapshot of our progress, allowing us to identify progress and areas for further analysis and development.
“The data gathered by Sport Ireland is an essential tool that provides an evidence base for the policy decisions that are made by Government to improve the take up of sport in Ireland. It is great to see in this year’s ISM that active sports participation has reached its highest level ever in line with Government’s vision of increasing participation for sport and physical activity for the people of Ireland.
“I’d like to thank and commend Sport Ireland for this work as it allows us to compare to the past while at the same time plan for the future.”
The report also found that the growth in active sports participation rates is happening equally among men and women, resulting in a 3-percentage point difference in male and female sports participation rates in 2024, the same as in 2023.
Sport Ireland CEO Dr Úna May said: “The growth in active sports participation is very welcome. The latest figures are on track with Sport Ireland projections. The expectation is that we should reach and possibly slightly exceed 50% by 2027.
“A lot of credit has to go to the Government, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, our national governing bodies, and local sports partnerships, clubs, coaches, officials, volunteers, and participants for their commitment to promoting sport in all its forms.
“These numbers show significant recovery from pandemic levels of participation, and we are going to continue to work hard to keep developing sport in IrelanBenny Cullen, Director of Research and Innovation at Sport Ireland, said: “I want to thank all those who helped produce this important report, including our research colleagues in IPSOS B&A.
“The ISM report is a wide-ranging piece of research; we hope that it can stimulate debate and discussion about how we can promote sport participation and physical activity in society. While much work remains to be done it is pleasing to see growth in several areas.”
Recreational walking makes a significant contribution to the health and wellbeing of the nation, especially among older populations, and the ISM showed that it has increased to 70%, up from 69% in 2023.
The ISM also showed increases in social sports participation, club membership and volunteering. Weekly event attendance figures remained stable at 20%, which is one of the highest numbers in Europe.
John Foley, Sport Ireland Chairperson, said: “The 2024 Sports Monitor presents positive numbers on participation and volunteering. Continuing to grow participation across all sectors of society is a major priority and we look forward to working with all our stakeholders in the achievement of our goals.”
However, the ISM also showed that more work needs to be done in certain areas.
Active sports participation for people with disabilities is not growing at the same rate as that for people without disabilities, and the disability gradient has increased to 22 percentage points, up from 20 percentage points in 2023.
Despite significant investment in sport for people with disabilities, the disability gradient in Ireland is increasing due to the growing number of older people with disabilities and the need for extensive partnerships and investments beyond the capacity of sport alone to address this issue.
Sport Ireland has already acted in this area, launching a Statement of Commitment and Action to advance and promote the inclusion of people with a disability in sport, and recruiting a Disability Lead.
Another finding from the report is that the difference in active sports participation rates of those aged over 35 with those aged under 35 has increased to 26 percentage points, up from 24 percentage points in 2024.
Meanwhile, the ISM showed that the difference in active sports participation rates between the ABC1 and C2DE social classes, is the same as 2023 at 19 percentage points.
This gap can only be reduced through work with communities experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. The network of Local Sports Partnerships is particularly well placed to work in this area and will continue to seek to engage teenagers, ethnic minorities, older people and people with disabilities.
Other measures, such as the ESF+ Sport4Empowerment programme, which aims to enhance the wellbeing, education and economic prospects of people at risk of social exclusion, and Dormant Accounts funding are being deployed to work in this area.
