Sport participation in the EU:trends and differences
Prof. dr. Maarten van Bottenburg(professor of sport studies at Utrecht University and research director of the Mulier Institute)
W.J.H. Mulier Institute - Centre for Research on Sports in Society(University of Amsterdam, University of Groningen, Tilburg University, Utrecht University)
www.mulierinstituut.nl
• Decline of social capital and civic engagement
• Less and less ties and trust• Spending less time doing
sports• More and more bowling
alone in stead of bowling together
The importance of social capital
• Making people more trusting and trustworthy• Making people more active in society• Making people fight illness more effectively• Making trusting connections to others• Resolving collective problems
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Number of organizations with morethan 50,000 members
Sport
Intern. solidarity
Political parties
BroadcastingcorporationsHealth careorganizationsNature andenvironmentChurches anddenominationsConsumerorganizationsTrade unions
Women's
Active club membership in no field as extensive in Dutch society as in sport
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
Volunteers as a percentageof total population (2002)
Sports clubs
Churches/denominations
Schools
Health care
Other organizations
Cultural organizations
Youth work
Hobby clubs
Trade unions
Political parties
Volunteering in no field as extensive in Dutch society as in sport
Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe
• Article I – 17– The Union shall have competence to carry out supporting,
coordinating or complementary action in the field of sport.
• Article III – 282– The Union shall contribute to the promotion of European
sporting issues, while taking account of its specific nature, its structures based on voluntary activity and its social and educational function.
Focus attention on the data:
• What is the sport participation level?
• Is sport including all people?
• Which trends can be observed?
1. To what extent are data on sports participation collected in the EU and its member states?
2. What is the scale and nature of sport participation in the EU and its member states?
3. Which trends and differences may be identified in this respect?
Research questions
4. What are the key drivers of sports participation?
5. What are the research gaps with respect to sport participation trends and differences in the EU?
Research questions
• Collection and analysis of existing data on sport participation
– Pan European sport participation surveys (Eurobarometers, COMPASS, HETUS, IPAQ)
– National sport participation surveys and membership figures (with the help of researchers/contact persons in 25 member states)
• Literature study on key drivers
Research methods
Levels of sports participation in the EU
Sports participation level strongly depends on definition of terms.
The margins are often set very low.
60
49
38
17
5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Exercise or sportevery now and then
Exercise or sport atleast once a month
Exercise or sport atleast once a week
Exercise or sport atleast three times a
week
Vigorous physicalactivity >6 hrs a week
Perc
enta
ge o
f EU
citi
zens
Sports participation level strongly depends on definition of terms.
The margins are often set very low.
60
49
38
17
5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Exercise or sportevery now and then
Exercise or sport atleast once a month
Exercise or sport atleast once a week
Exercise or sport atleast three times a
week
Vigorous physicalactivity >6 hrs a week
Perc
enta
ge o
f EU
citi
zens
Sport participation in 15 EU member states, 15 years and over (2003). Big differences between member
states, with a clear geographical pattern.
76 72
6053 52
45 43 43 43 3934 37
27 26 22
38
99
10
7 7
10 10 9 68
11 7
6 65
11
15 18
3140 41 45 46 49 52 53 55 57
67 6873
53
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Finlan
dSwed
enDen
mark
Irelan
dNeth
erlan
ds UKFran
ceBelg
iumLu
xembo
urgGerm
any
Austria
Spain
Italy
Greece
Portug
al
EU25
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
at least once a week 1-3 times a month less often/never/dk
Sport participation in 15 EU member states, 15 years and over (2003). Big differences between member
states, with a clear geographical pattern.
76 72
6053 52
45 43 43 43 3934 37
27 26 22
38
99
10
7 7
10 10 9 68
11 7
6 65
11
15 18
3140 41 45 46 49 52 53 55 57
67 6873
53
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Finlan
dSwed
enDen
mark
Irelan
dNeth
erlan
ds UKFran
ceBelg
iumLu
xembo
urgGerm
any
Austria
Spain
Italy
Greece
Portug
al
EU25
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
at least once a week 1-3 times a month less often/never/dk
66
60
5857
48 4847 47
46
43
40 40
36 36 3635
34 34
31 31
28
24
17
7
4
40
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
Por
tuga
l
Hun
gary
Italy
Gre
ece
Latv
ia
Lith
uani
a
Spa
in
Cyp
rus
Pol
and
Mal
ta
Luxe
mbo
urg
Est
onia
Bel
gium
Ger
man
y
Slo
vaki
a
Fran
ce
Aus
tria
Cze
ch R
epub
lic
Net
herla
nds
UK
Irela
nd
Slo
veni
a
Den
mar
k
Sw
eden
Finl
and
EU
25
No participation in exercise or sport in 25 member states in 2004(>15 years). New member states do not close up the ranks.
Scandinavia
western Europe
southern Europe
10 new members states
Portugal15Greece15Greece15Portugal15Portugal15
Greece14Portugal14Portugal14Greece14Belgium14
Italy13Spain13Belgium13Belgium13Italy13
Spain12Italy12Spain12Italy12Spain12
Austria11Belgium11Italy11Spain11France11
Germany10France10Ireland10France10Greece10
Luxembourg9Germany9Germany9Germany9Germany9
Belgium8Luxembourg8France8UK8UK8
France7Austria7Netherlands7Denmark7Luxembourg7
UK6Netherlands6UK6Luxembourg6Denmark6
Netherlands5UK5Luxembourg5Netherlands5Netherlands5
Ireland4Ireland4Austria4Ireland4Austria4
Denmark3Denmark3Denmark3Austria3Ireland3
Sweden2Finland2Finland2Sweden2Finland2
Finland1Sweden1Sweden1Finland1Sweden1
2004Exercise or play sport
2003Exercise orplay sport
1999Free time spent on
sport and PA
1997Recreational PA in
typical week
1997Meets PA
Recommendation
Meets the PA recommendation (>30 minutes per day), 1999
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Finlan
dSwed
enIre
land
UKDen
markNeth
erlan
dsAus
triaGerm
any
Luxe
mbourg
Belgium
France
Spain Italy
Greece
Portug
alEU 15
Yes No
Participation in vigorous physical activities in a typical week
2013
20 1822
16 15 15 1724
14 13 12
2622
29
28
24
18
34
2524 22
28
29
23
1523
20
15
5159 56
63
43
59 60 6256
45
59
7264
5461
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Finlan
dSwed
enDen
mark
Irelan
dNeth
erlan
ds UK
Fran
ceBelg
iumLu
xembo
urgGer
many
Austria
Spain
Italy
Greec
ePort
ugal
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
none1-3 days4-7 days
Differences in sports participationbetween social groups
16-1925-2935-3945-4955-5965 +Finl
and 19
97/8
Sweden
1997
the N
etherl
ands 1
995
UK 1996
Irelan
d 1994
Portuga
l 199
8
Spain 19
95
Italy
2000
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Sport participation at least once a year by age groups in eight COMPASS pilot countries
Sport participation at least once a year by SES in the UK
59 59
51
43 43
38
31 30
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Large employersand high
managerial
Higherprofessionals
Low er managerialand professional
Intermediate Small employersand ow n account
Low er supervisorand technical
Semi routine Routine
Perc
enta
ge
Trends in sports participation
Change of direction in sports participation:stagnation or decline in the Netherlands
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002
Perc
enta
ge o
f pop
ulat
ion
AVO surveyTBO time use research diariesTBO time use surveysNOC*NSF-membership sportclubsRSO survey
15
7
78
16
9
75
17
17
66
18
17
65
23
16
61
22
16
62
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000
Also stagnation in growth of sport participation in Spain
Did not participate in sport inthe last twelve months
Participated in more than onesport in the last twelve months
Participated in one sport in thelast twelve months
Decrease of sport participation in the UK among almost all age groups
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1987 1990 1993 1996 2002
Perc
enta
ge o
f age
gro
up
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-44
45-59
60-69
70 and over
Total
However, the number of private health clubsin the UK has strongly increased
Key drivers of sport participation
• Determinants:
• Self-efficacy• Perceived pleasure• Perceived barriers
• Motives:
• Have fun• Belong to a group• Learn skills/techniques• Experience success• Getting fit and healthy• Getting a ‘good’ body• Relaxation
Personal factors
Motives for non-sportsparticipation
• Lack of time• Lack of energy• Lack of interest• Lack of money• Lack of facilities• Having no partner
• Lack of support• Having no transport• Lack of skills• Lack of success• Lack of health• Fear of injury
• Cultural stereotypes (age, gender)• Education• Sporting behavior of parents• Physical education• Coaches/trainers• Peers• Key life events
Interpersonal factors
• Traffic volume• Availability of
footpaths and cycle paths
• Availability of sport and leisure facilities
• Access to nearby sports clubs
Environmental factors
• ‘Sport for all’ campaigns were successful because they corresponded with wider economic and socio-cultural developments:
– Increase in affluence and leisure time– Expansion of higher education– Levelling out of income differences– Individualisation and informalisation of interpersonal
relations– Emancipation of women, youth, elderly, etc.
Societal factors
• From ‘sport for all’ campaigns to ‘health enhancing physical activity’ interventions– Less directed at sport and exercise; more at
physical activity.– Focus of attention shifted from young people to
adults and the elderly.– Focuses less on infrastructure and more on
individual mentalities.
Intervention strategies
• European regions• Gender• Age groups• Levels of educational attainment• Social class• Residential area
Towards a differentiated policy
Thank you for your attention!
This paper was produced for a meeting organized by Health & Consumer Protection DG and represents the views of its author on the subject. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as a statement of the Commission's or Health & Consumer Protection DG's views. The European Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.