An improve in the number of females playing sport has driven enhanced participation figures, according to the latest survey by Sport England.
Folks regularly playing sport stands at 15.74 million more than 12 months, a rise of 1.65 million since 2005/06.
Bucking the standard trend, the quantity of girls playing sport and being active is increasing more rapidly than guys.
Swimming remains the prime sport all round but continues to decline, with athletics a close second and rising.
Sport England’s Active Folks Survey started in 2005/06 and measures the quantity of men and women taking component in sport across the nation, with findings published each and every six months.
There was very good news for tennis, cricket, boxing and rugby union, with increases in the numbers taking part but football and cycling knowledgeable falls.
Participation figures for lower socio-financial groups and disabled individuals were low and stay static.
“It’s very good news that far more girls are playing sport, and driving an general enhance in the numbers,” stated Jennie Price, Sport England’s chief executive.
“It really is particularly fantastic to see This Girl Can is making a actual distinction. That is because we’ve truly focused on what drives women’s attitudes and behaviours.
“If we’re to see a further step alter in the total quantity of folks playing sport, we need to have to take a similar, customer-focused strategy in places exactly where the figures are stubbornly low, like disability and decrease socio-financial groups.”
- Best sports: The number of individuals playing standard sport in England rose by 245,000 in the year to September, with the number of women participating routinely up by 150,000. The top five sports in which adults take portion at least as soon as a week are: Swimming (2.5 million), Athletics(2.three million), Cycling (2. million), Football(1.8 million), Golf(.74 million)
- Gender: eight.73 million males aged 16 years or more than (40.7%) played sport when a week for the duration of the period October 2014 to September 2015, an improve of 949,600 considering that 2005/06 7.01 million females aged 16 years or more than (31.two%) played sport after a week, an improve of 703,800 because 2005/06.
- Athletics: The sport with the greatest improvement saw a rise of 98,700 to 2.3 million, much of it driven by more women taking component in running.
- Swimming: Cost had said she was “extremely concerned” by the preceding set of participation figures in January, and the decline continues, albeit at a slower pace. The newest fall of 39,300, to 2.51 million, was “welcomed, [but] the sector has a lot much more to do to reverse its fortunes.”
- Tennis: A week right after the Lawn Tennis Association came in for criticism from Andy Murray, amongst other people, for its lack of success in bringing via junior players, the governing body can at least point to continually enhancing participation figures. The LTA had funding cut by Sport England in 2012 as participation declined, but the most recent figures show 22,800 a lot more folks aged 16 and over – a total of 445,200 – played once a week.
