DIVERSITY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS
Almost 60% of all people aged 18 years and over (56% or 9.4 million) reported that all or most of their friends had similar levels of education, 65% of people (10.9 million) reported that all or most of their friends were of a similar age and 73% (12.2 million) had all or most of their friends of the same ethnic background. For those who volunteered, there was not enough evidence of significant difference between the proportions of people who had all or most of their friends with similar educational attainment, age group or from the same ethnic background (57%, 65% and 75% respectively).
Higher proportions of sport and physical recreation organisation volunteers reported having all or most of their friends of the same ethnic background (80%) than those who volunteered for other organisations only (73%). There was not enough evidence to identify any significant differences among those who volunteered for sport and physical recreation organisations and those who volunteered for other organisations only, in regards to the proportion of friends with a similar education or whether they had all or most of their friends of a similar age.
6.4 Sport and Physical Recreation and Other Volunteers, By proportion of friends with same ethnic background, similar age and similar education |
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| | | Sport & physical recreation organisation(s) only | Sport & physical recreation and other organisation(s) | Total sport & physical recreation organisation(s) | Other organisation(s) only | Total volunteers | Not a volunteer | Total persons aged 18 years & over |
|
Volunteers ('000) | | | | | | | |
| Friends of same ethnic background | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 861.0 | 942.7 | 1 803.7 | 2 787.9 | 4 591.6 | 7 605.9 | 12 197.5 |
| | About half | 89.2 | 136.2 | 225.4 | 522.7 | 748.1 | 1 325.5 | 2 073.7 |
| | Few/none(a) | 104.0 | 134.7 | 238.6 | 505.8 | 744.5 | 1 772.5 | 2 517.0 |
| | Total | 1 054.2 | 1 213.6 | 2 267.7 | 3 816.5 | 6 084.2 | 10 703.9 | 16 788.2 |
| Friends of similar age | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 735.5 | 728.3 | 1 463.8 | 2 520.3 | 3 984.1 | 6 916.7 | 10 900.8 |
| | About half | 235.1 | 375.0 | 610.1 | 939.2 | 1 549.3 | 1 858.5 | 3 407.8 |
| | Few/none(a) | 83.6 | *110.2 | 193.8 | 357.0 | 550.8 | 1 928.7 | 2 479.5 |
| | Total | 1 054.2 | 1 213.6 | 2 267.7 | 3 816.5 | 6 084.2 | 10 703.9 | 16 788.2 |
| Friends with similar education | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 686.4 | 630.0 | 1 316.4 | 2 143.2 | 3 459.6 | 5 981.2 | 9 440.8 |
| | About half | 195.1 | 364.8 | 559.9 | 851.5 | 1 411.4 | 1 852.8 | 3 264.2 |
| | Few/none(a) | 172.7 | 218.8 | 391.4 | 821.8 | 1 213.3 | 2 869.9 | 4 083.1 |
| | Total | 1 054.2 | 1 213.6 | 2 267.7 | 3 816.5 | 6 084.2 | 10 703.9 | 16 788.2 |
Volunteers (%) | | | | | | | |
| Friends of same ethnic background | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 81.7 | 77.7 | 79.5 | 73.0 | 75.5 | 71.1 | 72.7 |
| | About half | 8.5 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 13.7 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 12.4 |
| | Few/none(a) | 9.9 | 11.1 | 10.5 | 13.3 | 12.2 | 16.6 | 15.0 |
| | Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Friends of similar age | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 69.8 | 60.0 | 64.5 | 66.0 | 65.5 | 64.6 | 64.9 |
| | About half | 22.3 | 30.9 | 26.9 | 24.6 | 25.5 | 17.4 | 20.3 |
| | Few/none(a) | 7.9 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 18.0 | 14.8 |
| | Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Friends with similar education | | | | | | | |
| | All/most | 65.1 | 51.9 | 58.1 | 56.2 | 56.9 | 55.9 | 56.2 |
| | About half | 18.5 | 30.1 | 24.7 | 22.3 | 23.2 | 17.3 | 19.4 |
| | Few/none(a) | 16.4 | 18.0 | 17.3 | 21.5 | 19.9 | 26.8 | 24.3 |
| | Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
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* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution |
(a) Includes the categories Don't know and Not applicable/No friends. |