Main stories
In 2024/25, just over half of all adults (51%) had participated in sport within the last year, the same figure as 2023/24.
More than three-quarters (78%) of adults had participated in sport or physical activity (i.e. participated in sport or walked for recreation) in the last year, with 73% doing so in the previous 4 weeks, similar to the 2023/24 figures of 77% and 74% respectively.
In 2024/25, males were more likely to have participated in sport within the last year compared to females (59% and 43%, respectively).
Around seven in every ten adults who had participated in sport or physical activity over the last year cited ‘Improved physical health’ (73%), ‘Keep fit’ (72%) and ‘Improved mental health’ (69%) as benefits.
Introduction
The Department for Communities (DfC) is responsible for the central administration and promotion of sport in Northern Ireland. DfC develops sport policy, provides funding for sport and supports sports initiatives. In 2022, DfC in collaboration with other government departments, councils, Sport NI and a wide range of stakeholders, developed Active Living - the new Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland. The Active Living Strategy builds on the success of the previous strategy, Sport Matters.
This bulletin provides findings from the 2024/25 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) on the experience of sport by adults in Northern Ireland. These findings are used to inform the development, monitoring and evaluation of policy. More information relating to the CHS, methodology, definitions and the interpretation of the figures can be found in the Technical notes and Definitions sections. Data tables accompanying this publication and the questions that were asked in the CHS 2024/25 are available on the DfC website.
Lead statistician: Clair Stewart
Sport participation
In 2024/25, just over half of all adults (51%) participated in sport at least once within the last year, the same figure as 2023/24. When looking at sport participation at least once in the previous 4 weeks, over four out of every ten adults (43%) had participated, similar to the figure for 2023/24 (44%).
Sport club membership
A quarter of adults (25%) were a member of a sports club or organisation within the previous year.
Sex and sport participation
In 2024/25, females (43%) were less likely to have taken part in sport at least once within the last year than males (59%). Similarly, when looking at participation rates over the previous four weeks, over a third of females (36%) stated that they had taken part in sport compared to half of all males (50%).
Furthermore, males were more likely to be a member of a sports club than females (29% and 20% respectively).
Disability and sport participation
In 2024/25, adults who have a disability were less likely to have taken part in sport at least once within the last year (33%) compared with those who do not have a disability (59%).
A similar disparity was found when participation rates over the last four weeks were considered, with just over a quarter of those with a disability (26%) having taken part in sport compared to just over half of adults who do not have a disability (51%).
Furthermore, a lower proportion of adults with a disability were members of a sports club compared to those who do not have a disability (15% and 29% respectively).
Deprivation and sport participation
In 2024/25, adults living in the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland were less likely to have participated in sport within the previous year (43%) or within the last 4 weeks (36%) than those adults living in the least deprived areas (65% and 56%, respectively). Similarly, those living in the most deprived areas were less likely to be a member of a sports club (16%) than those living in the least deprived areas (34%).
Urban/rural and sport participation
In 2024/25, similar proportions of adults living in urban and rural areas participated in sport within the previous year (52% and 49% respectively). However, those living in an urban area were more likely to have participated in sport within the last 4 weeks than those living in a rural area (45% and 40% respectively). Similarly, those living in an urban area were more likely to be a member of a sports club (26%) than those living in a rural area (22%).
Local Government District and sport participation
In 2024/25, around three in every five adults living in Lisburn and Castlereagh (65%), Ards and North down (63%), Belfast (56%) and Antrim and Newtownabbey (55%) had participated in sport in the previous year. In contrast, Derry City and Strabane had the lowest proportion of adults participating in sport in the previous year (38%).
Types of sports participated in
Just over a quarter of adults (26%) participated in ‘Keep fit/aerobics/yoga/dance exercise/weight training’ within the last year, followed by 15% participating in ‘Jogging/running’ or ‘Swimming or diving’.
Sex
There were differences in the types of sports males and females participated in within the last year. Compared with females, a higher proportion of males participated in 10 of the 12 sports listed. Sports with the most notable differences include ‘Football’ (14% males versus 1% females), ‘Golf or pitch and putt’ (12% v 3%) and ‘Cycling for recreation’ (12% v 4%).
Disability
Adults with a disability were less likely to have participated in 8 of the 12 sports listed within the previous year. Some sports showing notable differences between the two groups were ‘Keep fit/aerobics/yoga/dance exercise/weight training’ (16% with a disability versus 30% without a disability) , ‘Jogging/running’ (6% v 20%) and ‘Football’ (3% v 10%).
Deprivation
Differences in sport preferences were examined among adults living in the most and least deprived areas in Northern Ireland. Adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have participated in 8 of the 12 sports listed within the previous year.
Some of the sports showing notable differences between the two groups were ‘Keep fit/aerobics/yoga/dance exercise/weight training’ (36% least deprived versus 21% most deprived), ‘Jogging/running’ (22% v 11%), ‘Swimming or diving’ (22% v 11%) and ‘Cycling for recreation’ (13% v 4%).
Sports played in clubs/organisations
The most popular sports played in a club or organisation were ‘Keep fit/aerobics/yoga/dance exercise/weight training’ (40%), ‘Golf or pitch and putt’ (14%), ‘Gaelic games (football, hurling, camogie)’ (11%) and ‘Swimming or diving’ (11%).
Regular participation in sport
Adults in Northern Ireland were asked how many days per week do they normally take part in sport. Just under half (48%) of all adults normally participated at least one day per week, with just over a fifth (22%) normally participating on 4 or more days per week.
When looking at adults who participated in sport at least one day per week, the proportion was lower for females, adults with a disability, adults living in the most deprived areas and those living in a rural area.
Involvement in sport
In 2024/25, just under one in twenty adults (4%) were involved in sports coaching, whilst 2% of adults were a sport administrator/non-coaching volunteer and 1% were a sport development practitioner.
Walking for recreation
‘Walking for recreation’ is not included in the overall sport participation figures. More than three-fifths of adults (64%) had walked for recreation within the previous year. In contrast to the demographic pattern seen with the overall sport participation rates, a higher proportion of females (68%) than males (60%) had walked for recreation.
Just over a quarter of adults (27%) had not participated in sport but had walked for recreation within the previous year. As with the previous results a higher proportion of non-sport participating females (33%) had walked for recreation than non-sport participating males (20%).
More than three-quarters (78%) of adults had participated in sport or
physical activity (i.e. participated in sport or walked for recreation)
in the last year, with 73% doing so in the previous 4 weeks, similar to
the 2023/24 figures of 77% and 74% respectively. A higher proportion of
males had participated in sport or physical activity in the last year
than females (79% and 76% respectively).
There were further differences in the proportions of adults walking for recreation when analysed by deprivation and disability. A lower proportion of adults who have a disability walked for recreation within the previous year (55%) than those without a disability (68%).
Similarly, adults living in the most deprived areas were less likely to have walked for recreation compared to adults living in the least deprived areas (51% and 75% respectively).
Benefits of participating in sports or physical activity
Around seven in every ten adults who had participated in sport or physical activity over the last year cited ‘Improved physical health’ (73%), ‘Keep fit’ (72%) and ‘Improved mental health’ (69%) as benefits. Other benefits cited by taking part in sport or physical activity include ‘Have fun’ (41%), ‘Made me feel better about myself’ (37%) and ‘Lose weight’ (29%).
Only 3% of all adults who had participated stated that they had experienced no benefits as a result of participating in sport or physical activity in the last year.
Sex
Considering benefits of participation in sport or physical activity by sex, males were more likely than females to have stated 6 of the 15 benefits. Some benefits showing notable differences between the two groups were ‘Improved physical health’ (76% males versus 70% females), ‘Have fun’ (44% v 38%) and ‘Developed skills as a team player’ (10% v 4%).
Disability
Those with a disability were less likely than those without a disability to have chosen 9 of the 15 listed benefits of participation in sport or physical activity. Benefits showing notable differences between the two groups include ‘Keep fit’ (66% with a disability versus 75% without a disability), ‘Improved physical health’ (67% v 75%) and ‘Lose weight’ (24% v 31%).
Deprivation
Adults living in the most deprived areas were less likely to have chosen 13 of the 15 listed benefits of participation in sport or physical activity compared to those living in the least deprived areas. Some benefits showing notable differences between the two groups were ‘Made me feel better about myself’ (26% most deprived versus 44% least deprived), ‘Opportunities to make friends’ (13% v 29%) and ‘Improved physical health’ (66% v 81%).
Technical notes
Continuous Household Survey
The Continuous Household Survey is a Northern Ireland wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The sample for this survey consisted of a systematic random sample of 8,940 addresses selected from the NISRA Address Register. The findings reported for 2024/25 are based on 4,584 respondents, aged 16 and over.
Note: Data collection for the 2024/25 CHS was carried out using a mix of telephone and face-to-face interviewing modes, a similar approach to that used in 2022/23 and 2023/24. For 2020/21 and 2021/22 data collection was by telephone interviewing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There was also a reduction in the number of questions between 2020/21-2022/23. As a result, the figures from 2020/21 onwards are not directly comparable to previous years due to the significant changes to the survey in terms of methodology and content. More information is available on the NISRA website.
Results of the user survey conducted during summer 2025
An online public survey on the use of the culture, arts, heritage, sport and language official statistics publications produced by Analytics Division was carried out during the summer 2025. The report linked below summarises the findings from that survey which were used to inform the content of the 2024/25 edition of this report: Outcomes of the survey on the use of the culture, arts, heritage, sport and language official statistics publications. Analytics Division welcomes further feedback on the publications, contact us directly with any comments – email: analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk.
Weighting the Continuous Household Survey
Analysis of the sport module of the CHS has been weighted for non-response. A chi square goodness-of-fit test showed that the CHS sample (4,584) was not representative of the population by age and sex when compared with the 2023 Mid Year Estimates for Northern Ireland NISRA 19 September 2024. As a result, separate weights were produced for age, sex and age and sex combined.
Non-response weighting sometimes increases standard errors, although the impact tends to be fairly small, i.e. the adjustment may be less or greater than 1, but will generally be reasonably close to 1. In the case of the culture, arts, heritage and sport modules of the CHS, the values of the adjustment for all three weighting systems are so close to one, it is not necessary to take account of this in the calculation of standard error and confidence intervals.
While weighting for non-response (also called post-stratification) should reduce bias, it must be acknowledged that it will not eliminate bias. The reasons individuals choose to take part in surveys are complex and depend on lots of factors specific to the individual. As a result, the non-response biases in surveys are likely to be complex. Post-stratification works on the assumption that, by aligning the survey to the population along a small number of dimensions such as age and sex, many of these complex biases will reduce. However, it would be misleading to suggest that they will be eliminated.
Statistical significance in this report
Any statements in this report regarding differences between years or groups are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that we can be 95% confident that the differences between groups are actual differences and have not just arisen by chance. The base numbers and sizes of the percentages have an effect on statistical significance. Therefore on occasion, a difference between two groups may be statistically significant while the same difference in percentage points between two other groups may not be statistically significant. The reason for this is because the larger the base numbers or the closer the percentages are to 0 or 100, the smaller the standard errors. This leads to increased precision of the estimates which increases the likelihood that the difference between the proportions is actually significant and has not just arisen by chance.
Official Statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. Contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards - email:analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
Other notes
The following should be noted when interpreting figures and tables:
Definitions
Sport participation - Participated in at least one of the following activities in the 12 months, or 4 weeks prior to the CHS. Does not include walking for recreation:
Sport or physical activity participation - Participated in sports (from list above) or walked for recreation in the 12 months, or 4 weeks prior to the CHS.
Member of a sports club - Are you currently a member of any sports club or organisation? non-playing members of a club are not included.