4156.0.55.001 - Perspectives on Sport, June 2013  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/06/2013   
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MEDIA RELEASE
7 June 2013
Embargo: 11:30 am (Canberra Time)
104/2013
Women playing sport a matter of degree


Women who are tertiary educated are more likely to participate in sport or physical recreation than those who did not complete school, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

“Eighty per cent of females with postgraduate degrees had participated in sport or physical recreation in the past 12 months”, said ABS Assistant Director of the National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, Paul Pamment.

“This compares with just 62 per cent of females whose highest educational attainment was Year 11”, he said.

Females living in low income households also had lower participation rates in sport and physical activity than those in higher income households.

“For those females in the lowest income bracket of household income, the participation rate was 46 per cent compared to 80 per cent in the highest bracket”, said Mr Pamment.

The publication also showed that more women are employed in sports and physical recreation occupations than ever before.

“The number of females employed in sport and physical recreation occupations in 2011 has increased 31 per cent since 2006,” he said.

The most common sport or recreation occupations for women were Fitness Instructor and Swimming Coach.

Further information is available in Perspectives on Sport (cat no 4156.0.55.001), available for free download from www.abs.gov.au.

Media note: Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) as the source.