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Participation young people

This page provides links to data on participation in the sports and physical activities by young people.

Participation in sport and active leisure by NZ young people
Census 2001 group
figure: 737,580		 % Young people
taking part in
the last 2 weeks:		 # Young people
taking part in
the last 2 weeks:		 # Respondents
Sports  
Athletics 9% 65,300 189
Basketball 9% 69,700 201
Combat sports 4% 28,800 91
Cricket 13% 94,800 278
Golf 3% 23,700 74
Gymnastics 4% 29,900 86
Hockey 6% 45,300 151
Horse riding 3% 23,600 78
Motor sports 2% 15,600 44
Netball 10% 71,100 219
Racquet sports 3% 24,300 90
Rugby Union 14% 100,300 310
Rugby League 1% 10,900 28
Shooting/archery 1% 4,400 16
Skiing/snow sports 1% 7,800 26
Soccer 18% 131,200 414
Tennis 6% 47,200 125
Touch 8% 56,200 166
Triathlon/duathlon 1% 5,100 14
Volleyball 3% 21,400 72
Active Leisure  
Air sports <1% 100 1
Cycling-on road 19% 136,800 392
Cycling-off road 1% 7,100 21
Exercising 22% 159,700 523
Fishing/hunting 5% 33,800 102
Hockey derivatives 1% 5,300 14
Maori sports 1% 6,400 24
Outdoor games 18% 130,500 365
Parlour sports 1% 4,600 13
Running/jogging 15% 111,600 362
Skateboarding 9% 64,700 209
Surfing 2% 13,800 46
Swimming 29% 216,300 678
Target ball 1% 6,500 25
Team ball 5% 39,600 114
Terrain sports 3% 24,900 88
Walking 15% 108,900 357
Water sports 3% 20,400 71
Weightlifting <1% 1,000 4
Other physical activities 1% 6,400 13
NO physical activities 9% 68,400 239
 
Total 100% 737,600 2347

PLEASE NOTE:
  1. The figures in this table are from a sample survey and so are estimates of the percentage and number of participants in each sport and activity. The accuracy of the estimates varies with the number of respondents the figures are based on (see column 3). For sports/activities mentioned by less than 100 respondents, the figures should be used to indicate the level of participation in these sports/activities and not to provide exact figures.
  2. These figures do not refer to registered members of a national sporting code.
  3. The percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number (<1 indicates that less than 0.5% of young people took part in the sport/activity). The numbers of participants are rounded to the nearest hundred & are calculated using the percentages before rounding and the number of NZ young people (5-17 year olds) recorded in the 2001 Census.
  4. People may participate in the sports/activities shown here on a casual basis and/or with a club or organisation.
  5. The figures in this table are from the 1998 and 2000 Combined Sport & Physical Activity Surveys.
  6. Exercising includes going to gym, aerobics and aquarobics.
  7. Motor sports includes motorcycling, trail biking and motor racing.
  8. Outdoor games includes hacky sack, trampolining, fresbee and kite flying.
  9. Parlour sports includes billiards, snooker, pool, darts and eightball.
  10. Racquet sports includes badminton, squash and table tennis.
  11. Target ball includes bowling, petanque/boules and skittles.
  12. Team ball includes softball, baseball, rounders and T ball.
  13. Water sports includes yachting/sailing, water polo, water skiing and scuba diving.

Updated | 30 Mar 2006.

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