Last updated: 07 Aug, 2020
This research summary provides a picture of participation in organised community sport in Victoria.
Download: 2018 Sport Participation Research Summary - Part 1 (PDF, 8 MB)
Download: 2018 Sport Participation Research Summary - Part 2 (PDF, 297 KB)
This summary outlines key findings and insights from the fourth year of VicHealth and Sport and Recreation Victoria’s joint research into organised community sport participation in Victoria across 12 popular sports including Australian football, basketball, bowls*, cricket, football (soccer), golf*, gymnastics, hockey, netball, sailing, swimming and tennis. It illustrates participation across age, sex and location in 2018 and compares this with participation in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
*Please note: bowls and golf did not provide data for 2018 and are not included in this summary.
Key findings from 2018
- The overall participation numbers increased each year from 2015–2018, with 95,900 more sports participants in 2018 compared to 2015. This corresponds to a participation rate increase of 0.8%.
- The participation increase was higher for females (1%) than for males (0.4%).
- The largest growth in participation rates 2015–2018 were within the 10–14-year age group with an increase of 2.7%, followed by 15–19 years with an increase of 1.9%.
- The largest growth in participation rate for females were within the 10–14-year age group with an increase of 6.2%, followed by the 5–9-year age group with an increase of 5.9%.
- The largest growth in participation rate for males were within the 15–19-year age group with an increase of 2.3%. There was a decrease of 3.9% for the 5–9-year age group.
- There was a considerable increase in female participation in some traditionally male-dominated sports such as Australian football, cricket and soccer.
