Why sport matters
Sport is an important part of life in Australia:
- Around 84% of Australian adults aged 15 and over participate in sport or physical activity at least once a year.
- 11 million adults take part in sport each year.
- About 3 million children aged 0-14 participate in organised sport outside of school hours each year.
- 40% of adults play organised sport or physical activity.
- Over 2.7 million adults volunteer in sport or physical activity.
These figures come from data collected by AusPlay between July 2023 and June 2024.
Sport has many benefits for participants. It can:
- motivate kids to be active, which can also improve school results
- instil habits that will help kids remain healthy and active throughout life
- improve physical and mental health
- help people feel included in a social group, and part of a community that sticks together.
Find out more about the lasting health benefits of exercise and physical activity.
Sport also has wider social and economic benefits. It is:
- a force for social change, increasing recognition of women and people with disabilities as sporting role models
- an important part of the economy, generating an estimated $32 billion annually in sales and supporting 128,000 jobs.
International success by Australian athletes inspires people to take up sport and is a source of national pride.
Organisation of sport in Australia
Sport is organised at national, state and local levels in Australia.
National sports bodies
There are several key national bodies related to sport.
- The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is the Australian Government Agency responsible for supporting and investing in sport at all levels.
- Australian Sports Foundation – Australia's leading non-profit sports fundraising and charity body. Funds several grant programs to help overcome barriers to participation.
- National Sports Tribunal – provides independent, cost-effective dispute resolution services to sporting bodies, athletes and support personnel.
- Sport Integrity Australia – protects the integrity of Australian sport.
State and territory government sports agencies
The state and territory governments also give considerable support to sport and recreation. Learn about what’s happening in your local community:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
State peak sports bodies
These member-based organisations represent the sporting and recreation industries in their state:
Sports research and data
The Clearinghouse for Sport is the information and knowledge sharing platform for Australian sport. The Clearinghouse shares news, evidence and insights about a range of topics across sport and human performance.
The Australian Sports Commission delivers the AusPlay survey, a large scale national survey to track Australians’ sporting behaviours. AusPlay survey results are updated every 6 months.