Sport in rural and regional Australia
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Regional population estimates (August 2023) in 2022 around 28% (7,220,403) of Australians live in regional or remote communities. 11
- 18% of people live in inner regional areas
- 8% of people live in outer regional areas
- around 2% of people live in remote or very remote areas
PARTICIPATION - 2018 to 2022
Estimated sport-related participation 12, 13
Children (0-14) - organised outside-of-school hours sport-related activity at least once a week
Australians (15+) - sport-related activity at least once a week
|
Children 0-14 |
Australians 15+ |
Boys 0-14 |
Girls 0-14 |
Men 15+ |
Women 15+ | Non playing role 15+ | |
| Major cities | 1,650,000 (49%) | 6,211,000 (42%) | 876,000 (50%) | 774,000 (47%) | 3,721,000 (52%) | 2,490,000 (33%) | 2,231,000 (15%) |
| Inner regional | 409,000 (45%) | 1,441,000 (41%) | 215,000 (46%) | 194,000 (43%) | 810,000 (47%) | 631,000 (34%) | 636,000 (18%) |
| Outer regional | 169,000 (41%) | 631,000 (40%) | 91,000 (43%) | 78,000 (39%) | 351,000 (45%) | 280,000 (35%) | 305,000 (19%) |
| Remote or very remote | 34,000 (37%) | 123,000 (40%) | 18,000 (36%) | 16,000 (37%) | 68,000 (44%) | 55,000 (36%) | 67,000 (22%) |
Estimated sport-related participation by age group 12
Children (0-14) - organised outside-of-school hours sport-related activity at least once a week
Australians (15+) - sport-related activity at least once a week
Most popular sport-related activities with estimated participants 14
Children aged 0-14 [organised outside-of-school hours sport-related activity at least once a week]
Australians aged 15+ [sport-related activity at least once a week]
- Bright Futures: Young people in rural and regional Victoria, VicHealth, CSIRO Data61, YACVic and NCFH, (2018).
- Building social capital from sport event participation: An exploration of the social impacts of participatory sport events on the community, Ran Zhou, Kyriaki Kaplanidou, Sport Management Review, Volume 21(5), pp.491-503, (2018).
- Review of Sport and Recreation in Regional Western Australia, Watson P, Perth, Western Australian Government, (2008).
- The Value and Benefits of Sport, Clearinghouse for Sport, (accessed 29 November 2023).
- AIS support of regional athletes 1981 to 2013, Greg Blood, Australian Sport Reflections, (9 February 2021).
- Matt Denny: Grassroots to Greatness, Liana Buratti, Australian Olympic Committee, (22 October 2020).
- First club location and relative age as influences on being a professional Australian rugby league player, Cobley S, Hanratty M, O’Connor D, Cotton W, International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, Volume 9(2), pp.335-346, (2014).
- Opportunities, Barriers, and Constraints To Physical Activity in Rural Queensland, Australia. Eley R, Bush R, Brown W, Journal of Physical Activity and Health Volume 11(1), pp.68-75, (2014).
- The facilitators and barriers of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional sport participants, Claudie Péloquin, Thomas Doering, Stephanie Alley, et.al., Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Volume 41(5), pp.474-479, (2017).
- The Impact of Changing Demography and Socioeconomic Environments, and Ageing in a Small, Rural Town in Australia, Pamela M. Irwin, Journal of Population Ageing, Volume 12, pp.247-269, (2019).
- Regional population: population estimates by LGA, Significant Urban Area, Remoteness Area and electoral division, 2021 to 22, Australian Bureau of Statistics (20 April 2023).
- AusPlay Data Portal: Sport-related participation – frequency of participation, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 14 September 2023).
- AusPlay Data Portal: Non-playing roles, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 14 September 2023).
- AusPlay Data Portal: Participation by activity, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 14 September 2023).
TOPIC FOCUS
Last updated: 10 November 2023
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