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Sport, Recreation & Physical Activity Participation Among NZ Adults

Participation Levels

Percentage of adults who took part in at least one sport or recreation activity…

Over 12-Months Per Month Per Week
Total Population
96.0
90.0
79.0
Gender
Men
95.7
89.2
77.7
Women
96.3
90.8
80.3
Age
16-24
97.2
89.8
78.9
25-34
97.0
90.3
77.6
35-49
96.7
89.9
76.8
50-64
96.0
90.6
80.9
≥ 65
92.8
89.4
82.1
Ethnicity
Māori
97.2
89.0
77.5
Asian
97.2
88.8
73.0
NZ European
96.0
91.4
80.7
Pacific
92.1
80.0
69.1
Other
95.4
89.0
78.9

Among adults:

  • the percentage who participated in at least one sport or recreation activity decreased as the timeframe shortened (i.e. year, month, week), irrespective of gender, age or ethnicity;
  • during any week, 79 percent of adults participated in at least one sport or recreation activity;
  • over 12 months, the participation level increased to 96 percent, indicating that most adults are involved in sport or recreation;
  • the level of participation did not differ substantially across different age groups or between men and women; and
  • compared with the total population, a lower percentage of Pacific adults took part in activities across all timeframes.