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
Active club membership in no field as extensive
in Dutch society as in sport
Sport
20
18
Intern. solidarity
16
Political parties
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Number of organizations with more
than 50,000 members
Broadcasting
corporations
Health care
organizations
Nature and
environment
Churches and
denominations
Consumer
organizations
Trade unions
Women's
Volunteering in no field as extensive in Dutch
society as in sport
Sports clubs
12%
Churches/denominations
10%
Schools
8%
Health care
6%
Other organizations
4%
Cultural organizations
2%
Youth work
0%
Hobby clubs
Volunteers as a percentage
of total population (2002)
Trade unions
Political parties
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?
Research questions
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 methods
•
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
Levels of sports participation in the EU
Sports participation level strongly depends on
definition of terms.
The margins are often set very low.
Percentage of EU citizens
70
60
60
49
50
38
40
30
17
20
10
5
0
Exercise or sport
every now and then
Exercise or sport at
least once a month
Exercise or sport at
least once a week
Exercise or sport at
Vigorous physical
least three times a activity >6 hrs a week
week
Sports participation level strongly depends on
definition of terms.
The margins are often set very low.
Percentage of EU citizens
70
60
60
49
50
38
40
30
17
20
10
5
0
Exercise or sport
every now and then
Exercise or sport at
least once a month
Exercise or sport at
least once a week
Exercise or sport at
Vigorous physical
least three times a activity >6 hrs a week
week
Sport participation in 15 EU member states, 15 years
and over (2003). Big differences between member
states, with a clear geographical pattern.
100%
90%
15
18
31
80%
9
40
9
41
45
46
49
52
53
53
57
67
10
60%
7
40%
10
76
10
9
6
8
11
72
30%
60
53
68
73
7
50%
11
7
6
52
45
20%
43
43
43
6
5
39
34
38
37
27
10%
26
22
at least once a week
1-3 times a month
EU
25
G
re
ec
e
Po
rtu
ga
l
Ita
ly
Sp
ai
n
Au
st
ria
Fr
an
ce
Be
lg
iu
Lu
m
xe
m
bo
ur
g
G
er
m
an
y
U
K
Ire
la
nd
N
et
he
rla
nd
s
0%
Fi
nl
an
d
Sw
ed
en
D
en
m
ar
k
% of population
70%
55
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.
100%
90%
15
18
31
80%
9
40
9
41
45
46
49
52
53
53
57
67
10
60%
7
40%
10
76
10
9
6
8
11
72
30%
60
53
68
73
7
50%
11
7
6
52
45
20%
43
43
43
6
5
39
34
38
37
27
10%
26
22
at least once a week
1-3 times a month
EU
25
G
re
ec
e
Po
rtu
ga
l
Ita
ly
Sp
ai
n
Au
st
ria
Fr
an
ce
Be
lg
iu
Lu
m
xe
m
bo
ur
g
G
er
m
an
y
U
K
Ire
la
nd
N
et
he
rla
nd
s
0%
Fi
nl
an
d
Sw
ed
en
D
en
m
ar
k
% of population
70%
55
less often/never/dk
No participation in exercise or sport in 25 member states in 2004
(>15 years). New member states do not close up the ranks.
70
66
southern Europe
60
60
58
57
48
48
47
47
western Europe
46
43
40
40
40
40
36
36
36
35
34
34
31
31
30
28
24
Scandinavia
20
17
10 new members states
10
7
4
EU 25
Finland
Sweden
Denmark
Slovenia
Ireland
UK
Netherlands
Czech Republic
Austria
France
Slovakia
Germany
Belgium
Estonia
Luxembourg
Malta
Poland
Cyprus
Spain
Lithuania
Latvia
Greece
Italy
Hungary
0
Portugal
% of population
50
1997
1997
1999
2003
2004
Meets PA
Recommendation
Recreational PA in
typical week
Free time spent on
sport and PA
Exercise or
play sport
Exercise or play sport
1
Sweden
1
Finland
1
Sweden
1
Sweden
1
Finland
2
Finland
2
Sweden
2
Finland
2
Finland
2
Sweden
3
Ireland
3
Austria
3
Denmark
3
Denmark
3
Denmark
4
Austria
4
Ireland
4
Austria
4
Ireland
4
Ireland
5
Netherlands
5
Netherlands
5
Luxembourg
5
UK
5
Netherlands
6
Denmark
6
Luxembourg
6
UK
6
Netherlands
6
UK
7
Luxembourg
7
Denmark
7
Netherlands
7
Austria
7
France
8
UK
8
UK
8
France
8
Luxembourg
8
Belgium
9
Germany
9
Germany
9
Germany
9
Germany
9
Luxembourg
10
Greece
10
France
10
Ireland
10
France
10
Germany
11
France
11
Spain
11
Italy
11
Belgium
11
Austria
12
Spain
12
Italy
12
Spain
12
Italy
12
Spain
13
Italy
13
Belgium
13
Belgium
13
Spain
13
Italy
14
Belgium
14
Greece
14
Portugal
14
Portugal
14
Greece
15
Portugal
15
Portugal
15
Greece
15
Greece
15
Portugal
en
m
et
h
D
K
ar
k
U
Yes
No
al
e
ly
15
rtu
g
ec
EU
Po
G
re
Ita
er
la
nd
s
Au
st
ria
G
er
Lu man
xe
y
m
bo
ur
Be g
lg
iu
m
Fr
an
ce
Sp
ai
n
N
an
Sw d
ed
en
Ir e
la
nd
Fi
nl
Meets the PA recommendation (>30 minutes per day), 1999
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Participation in vigorous physical activities in a typical week
100%
80%
43
51
56
59
63
60
54
56
59
62
61
64
72
60%
none
1-3 days
4-7 days
40%
34
29
20
29
24
25
18
28
28
24
15
23
22
23
15
20%
20
20
18
26
24
22
16
13
15
15
17
14
13
12
G
re
ec
e
P
or
tu
ga
l
ly
Ita
S
pa
in
A
us
tri
a
Fr
an
ce
B
el
gi
um
Lu
xe
m
bo
ur
g
G
er
m
an
y
U
K
Ire
la
nd
N
et
he
rla
nd
s
0%
Fi
nl
an
d
S
w
ed
en
D
en
m
ar
k
% of population
59
45
22
Differences in sports participation
between social groups
Sport participation at least once a year by age groups in eight
COMPASS pilot countries
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
8
7/
9
19
97
19
d
n
s
an
de
l
e
nd
n
a
w
l
Fi
r
S
he
et
N
e
h
t
95
19
K
U
96
19
94
19
8
5
99
0
1
99
d
1
l
n
00
a
a
2
n
l
ai
ug
ly
Ire
rt
ta
Sp
o
I
P
65
+
55
-5
9
45
-4
9
35
-3
9
25
-2
9
16
-1
9
Sport participation at least once a year by SES in the UK
70
60
59
59
51
50
43
Percentage
40
43
38
31
30
30
20
10
0
Large employers
and high
managerial
Higher
prof essionals
Low er managerial
and prof essional
Intermediate
Small employers Low er supervisor
and ow n account
and technical
Semi routine
Routine
Trends in sports participation
Change of direction in sports participation:
stagnation or decline in the Netherlands
70
60
AVO survey
Percentage of population
50
TBO time use research diaries
TBO time use surveys
NOC*NSF-membership sportclubs
40
RSO survey
30
20
10
0
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
Also stagnation in growth of sport
participation in Spain
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
78
75
66
65
61
62
Did not participate in sport in
the last twelve months
Participated in more than one
sport in the last twelve months
50%
40%
30%
17
17
20% 7
9
10% 15
16
17
18
0%
1975
1980
1985
1990
16
16
23
22
1995
2000
Participated in one sport in the
last twelve months
Decrease of sport participation in the UK among
almost all age groups
90
80
70
Percentage of age group
60
16-19
20-24
50
25-29
30-44
45-59
60-69
40
70 and over
Total
30
20
10
0
1987
1990
1993
1996
2002
However, the number of private health clubs
in the UK has strongly increased
Key drivers of sport participation
Personal factors
• Determinants:
• Motives:
• Self-efficacy
• Perceived pleasure
• Perceived barriers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Have fun
Belong to a group
Learn skills/techniques
Experience success
Getting fit and healthy
Getting a ‘good’ body
Relaxation
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
Interpersonal factors
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cultural stereotypes (age, gender)
Education
Sporting behavior of parents
Physical education
Coaches/trainers
Peers
Key life events
Environmental factors
• Traffic volume
• Availability of
footpaths and cycle
paths
• Availability of sport
and leisure facilities
• Access to nearby sports
clubs
Societal factors
• ‘Sport for all’ campaigns were successful because
they corresponded with wider economic and sociocultural 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.
Intervention strategies
• 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.
Towards a differentiated policy
•
•
•
•
•
•
European regions
Gender
Age groups
Levels of educational attainment
Social class
Residential area
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.