Young Australians – not so sporty!
New data from Roy Morgan’s Life Be In It Young Australians Survey (YAS) shows even as our most popular sports are being played by fewer young people (aged 6-13) than a decade ago.
Soccer, Australian young people’s most popular sport is now played by 42%, down from 43% in 2019, and down from 49% in 2015.
In second place today is swimming, an activity for 38.5% of young people today, down from 46.5% in 2019, and 49% in 2015. As the table shows, swimming was the most popular sporting activity for young Australians in both 2015 and 2019.
This analysis in the table compares 2015 with 2019 (before COVID impacted sports participation) and 2025.
The trend is frighteningly clear. Most concerningly of all, young Australians taking part in any sporting activity at all has declined from 95.5% in 2015, down to 94% in 2019, and now down to only 89.5% - a drop of 6% points in a decade.
In addition to the top five sporting activities charted below, other sports and activities measured and tracked over the last decade include skateboarding, hiking/bushwalking, aerobics, gymnastics, Australian rules football, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, field hockey, netball, softball, baseball, t-ball, volleyball, tennis, body surfing, surfing, water skiing, rowing, snow skiing, snowboarding, martial arts, ice skating, roller blading/skating, dancing and horse raiding.
Young Australians Survey (YAS) Sporting Participation (2015 vs. 2019 vs. 2025) (%)
Source: Young Australians Survey (YAS) Jan-Dec 2015, n=2,906, Jan-Dec 2019, n=2,230, Jan-Dec 2025, n=1,723. Base: Australians aged 6-13+.
Michele Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Roy Morgan, and Chair of Life Be In It, says:
“The trend away from sports participation among young people is frighteningly clear.
“This is the headline finding of a nationwide study of Young Australians aged 6-13.
“As well as sport, the research covers all aspects of young people’s lives, including their activities, attitudes, where they get their information from, and how they’re feeling about things.
“Further analysis is being undertaken to understand the drivers of this change in sports activities, as well as the consequences; and to look at where the problem is greatest.”
Further details will be released in Roy Morgan’s weekly video update presented by Roy Morgan Chief Executive Officer Michele Levine.
For detailed analysis contact Julian McCrann on (03) 9224 5365 or email julian.mccrann@roymorgan.com.
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers.
