• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

MAIN FEATURES




SPORTS AND PHYSICAL RECREATION

Participation

• There were 9.1 million persons aged 18 years and over (62.4% of the adult population) who participated in physical activities for recreation, exercise or sport at some time during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002. Slightly more than half of these persons (4.6 million) participated in organised sports and physical recreation.
• The most popular physical recreation activity for both males and females was walking for exercise. However, the participation rate was much higher for females (32.9%) than it was for males (17.5%).
• There were 1.6 million children aged 5-14 years (59.4% of the population) who participated in organised sport outside of school hours during the 12 months ending April 2000.
• The most popular organised sport for boys was soccer (outdoor) which had 265,000 participants (19.6% of the population), whereas for girls it was netball with 234,900 participants (18.2% of the population).

• Australians aged 15 years and over spent an average of 27 minutes (8.5%) of their free time each day on sport and outdoor activities in 1997. For males the average time spent on sport and outdoor activities was 33 minutes, while for females it was 20 minutes.
• On average, 27.1% of Australians aged 15 years and over actually participated in sport or outdoor activities each day in 1997. Those who participated spent an average of 1 hour and 43 minutes (20.4%) of their free time each day.

• There were 7.0 million persons aged 18 years and over (48.2% of the adult population) who attended at least one sports event during the 12 months prior to interview in 2002. A greater percentage of males (56.0%) attended at least one sports event than did females (40.7%).
• Australian Rules football and horse racing were the sports most attended by both males and females. Australian Rules was attended by 21.0% of males and 13.4% of females, while for horse racing the corresponding percentages were 14.8% and 11.0%.

• Australian households spent an average of $11.03 per week on selected sports and physical recreation products during 1998-99. The largest single component of this figure was $2.07 spent on sports facility hire charges.
• The total expenditure by Australians on participation in organised sports and physical activities was $2,762.6m at an average per participant of $693 in 1996-97. Clothing and equipment accounted for 29.5% of the total expenditure.
• The average expenditure per participant on individual sports and physical activities in 1996-97 ranged from $129 for carpet bowls to $1,787 for motor sports.

• There were 83,008 persons whose main job was in a sports and physical recreation occupation at the time of the 2001 census. This was 21.6% higher than the corresponding figure from the 1996 census.
• On average, persons in sports and physical recreation occupations were more likely to be working part-time and more likely to have a lower income than persons in the general working population.
• At the end of June 2001 there were 87,448 persons working for organisations in the sports industries (excluding government agencies and manufacturing and sales organisations). Of these persons, 56.9% were working for not-for-profit organisations.
• There were 1.1 million persons aged 18 years and over (8.2% of the adult population) who undertook voluntary work for sports and physical recreation organisations during the 12 months prior to interview in 2000. This was a greater number than for any other type of organisation. A greater percentage of males (10.0%) undertook voluntary work for sports and physical recreation organisations than did females (6.5%).

• Building work worth $418.8m was approved for sports and physical recreation buildings during 2000-01. Of this total, 42.6% was for the construction of new buildings.
• Engineering construction work worth $410.9m was done for recreation projects (excluding landscaping) during 2001-02. This followed work worth $373.0m in 2000-01 and $477.1m in 1999-2000.
• There were 327 Indigenous communities with a population of 50 or more in 2001. Of these, 33.0% had no sporting facilities at all.

• The three levels of government provided a total of $2,124.2m in funding for sports and physical recreation in 2000-01. The majority of this (60.8%) went to fund Venues, grounds and facilities.
• The business sector provided funding of $628.0m to sports and physical recreation in 2000-01. Over three quarters of this (76.4%) was provided through sponsorship.

• In 2000-01 Sports and physical recreation clubs, teams and sports professionals had the highest total income ($1,381.8m) of all the sports and physical recreation industries mainly providing services. However, it was also one of the two such industries to record an operating loss/deficit, the other being Other sports and physical recreation venues, grounds and facilities.
• The industry with the largest operating profit/surplus in 2000-01 was Sports and physical recreation administrative organisations with $45.7m, even though the industry consisted entirely of not-for-profit organisations.
• Sport and camping equipment retailers recorded retail sales of $1,386.4m in 1998-99, while for Marine equipment retailers the corresponding figure was $656.3m.

• The total value of retail sales of selected sports and physical recreation goods in 1998-99 was $3,799.2m.
• The total value of exports of selected sports and physical recreation goods in 2001-02 was $463.4m, 21.7% higher than for the previous year and the third successive increase.
• The United States of America and New Zealand were the two biggest export markets for Australian sports and physical recreation goods in 2001-02, between them accounting for 41.0% of the total.
• After several successive increases, the total value of imports of selected sports and physical recreation goods fell 3.2% to be $1,233.9m in 2001-02.
• China and the United States of America were the two major sources of sports and physical recreation goods imported into Australia in 2001-02, between them accounting for 51.8% of the total.
• Australia's largest trade deficit in selected sports and physical recreation goods in 2001-02 was $370.5m with China, while its largest surplus was $30.8m with Greece.
• In 1996-97, the total supply of selected sports and physical recreation products (goods and services) was $6,634.9m, of which 86.4% came from Australian production and the remainder from imports. Final consumption expenditure by households used up 67.8% of the total supply.

• Total net takings from all gambling during 2000-01 amounted to $13,838.6m, or $944 per head of adult population. Poker machines contributed $8,752.4m (63.2%) of total net takings, and 87.9% of this contribution came from poker machines located either in Clubs or in Pubs, taverns and bars.
• In 2000-01, businesses in the gambling industries (i.e. businesses predominantly engaged in providing gambling services) had total income of $9,543.0m (net of payouts to players) and operating profit of $1,357.7m. At the end of June there were 32,591 persons employed by these businesses.
• The 2001 Census of Population and Housing found that there were 11,204 persons who identified their main job as working in a gambling occupation. Of these persons, 53.3% were female.
• The 1998-99 Household Expenditure Survey found that 51.3% of all households in Australia had some expenditure on gambling during the two-week enumeration period. For households within capital cities the corresponding percentage was 50.0% whereas, for households in other areas of Australia, it was 53.5%.

• The total income of the Amusement industries in 2000-01 was $424.1m, of which 67.7% was generated by Amusement and theme parks, and the remainder by Amusement arcades, centres and other operations. While the latter managed to break even, the former recorded an operating loss of $26.7m.
• At the end of June 2001, the amusement industries employed 6,943 persons of whom 56.8% were casual.
• The total income of Hospitality clubs in 2000-01 was $6,297.1m, of which 31.9% was contributed by those which were associated with sports or physical recreation. These Sports hospitality clubs had a similar share (30.5%) of the total Hospitality club operating surplus of $374.4m.
• The 23,530 persons employed by Sports hospitality clubs at the end of June 2001 were fairly evenly split between males and females, and between permanent and casual. Female employment was 50.8% of the total and casual employment was 51.1%.
• The total income of Toy and sporting good manufacturers in 2000-01 was $303.7m and operating profit was $40.2m. Employment at the end of June was 2,386.
• The total income of Toy and sporting good wholesalers in 1998-99 was $1,339.1m. Employment at the end of June was 4,173 of which 59.5% were male and 82.8% were full-time.
• The total income of Toy and game retailers in 1998-99 was $563.5m, while for Trailer and caravan dealers it was $377.5m. At the end of June, the former had employment of 4,828 persons and the latter 1,105.

• The total value of retail sales of selected other leisure goods in 1998-99 was $1,657.1m. Examples of these goods are toys, games, caravans and camping trailers.
• The total value of exports of selected other leisure goods in 2001-02 was $140.4m, 16.4% lower than for the previous year.
• New Zealand was the biggest export market for Australian other leisure goods in 2001-02, accounting for 36.5% of the total.
• The total value of imports of selected other leisure goods in 2001-02 was $969.6m, 19.5% higher than for the previous year and the latest in a series of increases.
• China was the major source of other leisure goods imported into Australia in 2001-02, accounting for 51.4% of the total.
• Australia's largest trade deficit in selected other leisure goods in 2001-02 was $498.1m with China, while its largest surplus was $42.2m with New Zealand.
• In 1996-97, the total supply of selected other leisure products (goods and services) was $10,119.8m, of which 90.9% came from Australian production and the remainder from imports. Final consumption expenditure by households used up 83.2% of the total supply.
• Australian households spent an average of $29.26 per week on selected other leisure products during 1998-99. Of this expenditure, 71.8% went on Food and beverage serving services.
• Building work worth $347.1m was approved during 2000-01 for other leisure buildings such as casinos and other gambling facilities; amusement parks and arcades; and senior citizen, youth and community centres. Of this total, 33.8% was for the construction of new buildings.