In 2023, around 63.5 percent of the UK population aged over 16 regularly participated in sport, representing a slight increase on the previous year. Overall, sport participation in the United Kingdom has generally risen since 2000.

In 2022, approximately 374 million Chinese individuals regularly participated in fitness sports, accounting for over a quarter of the population. The participation rate of fitness sports participants is anticipated to reach nearly a third by 2027.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024, the share of adults participating in sports in Japan amounted to 77.4 percent. This included people who participated in sports during the past year. What are the most popular sports to participate in? Children and adolescents engage in a variety of sports via physical education classes and sports clubs at their educational institutions. A broad range of sports is actively practiced by adolescents, with running and soccer currently being the most popular choices in Japan. Among adults, walking done for exercise is the most common physical exercise for both genders. Otherwise, gender discrepancies arise, with men engaging more in jogging and working out, while women are more active in gymnastics. Attitude towards sports Health was the leading reason for people in Japan to engage in sports. Many were also keen on improving or maintaining their physical strength. A considerable share of people felt they lacked physical exercise. This was especially the case for cohorts between the ages of 30 to 59, showing that people in these age groups wanted to do more sports but could not due to other priorities. At the same time, a substantial share of people want to exercise more often in Japan.

In a survey conducted in November 2024 in Japan, the age group with the highest sports participation rate among adults in Japan was the cohort between 18 and 19 years, with 84.4 percent. Elderly people in their seventies also showed high participation rates, surpassing the 80 percent mark.

Sport is often acknowledged as an important part of the Australian cultural identity and despite Australia’s relatively small population, it performs considerably well on the international sporting stage. Among Australia's favorite sporting codes are Rugby, Netball, Cricket, and Australian Rules Football (AFL), however when it comes to sport participation, individual sports dominate the top ten preferred sports in Australia. In the 2023 financial year a survey of over 20,000 respondents named recreational walking as the top participation sport, with almost 10 million regular participants, followed by fitness/gym and swimming. Individual versus team sportsOver one third Australians participate in some kind of fitness and gym activities and while participation rates in team and club sports reach almost 50 percent in the 15 to 17 year old age group, this participation rate drops steeply after the age of 18. This drop in organized sport activity is likely due to competing priorities in the later age groups, such as work and family commitments. Furthermore, this may also account for the preference towards more flexible, individual sport outlets that can be worked in around other commitments. Sport and public health In 2018, around a quarter of Australian children were overweight or obese. Australia ranks highly against other developed countries in terms of proportion of overweight and obese population. In response to these concerning numbers, Australian policy makers have recognized the potential sport participation can have to curb obesity rates, and a range of programs and initiatives are available to encourage sports participation in both children and adults.

In 2021, 55.8 percent of Gen Z respondents from the United States stated that they participated in team sports, making them the generation with the highest participation. The generation with the lowest participation in team sports was Boomers.

The number of women participating in any kind of sport or physical activity in England slightly increased in 2022/23. In 2022/23 the number of women participating in a sport or physical activity was approximately 17.9 million.

In 2023, it was found that 22.4 percent of men in the United States participated in sports, exercise, and recreational activities daily, compared to only 19.9 percent of women. These statistics highlight a notable difference in the daily engagement of different genders in sporting activities. Other factors influencing this participation include socioeconomic status, age, disability, ethnicity, geography, personal interests, and societal expectations. These barriers can prevent individuals from having equal access to, and opportunities for, sport participation. What role does gender play in sports participation? Historically, many sports have been segregated by gender, with men and women participating in separate leagues and competitions. This segregation has led to a lack of opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports at the same level as men and boys. Additionally, societal attitudes and stereotypes about gender can discourage women and girls from participating in sports or limit their access to resources and support for their athletic pursuits. This often results in fewer women and girls participating in sports and a lack of representation of women and girls in leadership roles within the sports industry. However, in recent years, there has been an increased focus on promoting gender equality in sports and providing equal opportunities for men and women to participate in sports. This includes initiatives to increase funding and support for women's sports, as well as efforts to challenge gender stereotypes and discrimination in the athletic world. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports participation The COVID-19 pandemic led to many people spending more time at home due to lockdowns, remote work, and school closures. This resulted in many people having more time to engage in sports and other physical activities, as seen in the share of the U.S. population engaged in sports and exercise peaking in 2020. With gyms and sports facilities closed or with limited access, many people turned to home-based workouts and other activities. This included activities such as running, cycling, and strength training that could all be done at home with minimal equipment. Online classes and streaming services also saw an increase in usage during the pandemic, providing people with access to a wide range of workout options and fitness programs.

According to a survey on sports participation in South Korea in 2024, around 60.7 percent of the respondents stated that they took part in regular sports activities at least once a week. Three times a week was the most frequent schedule for those that exercised regularly that year. South Koreans enjoyed taking a walk the most.

This statistic shows the participation in leisure-time aerobic and muscle strengthening (sports) activities among the adult population in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018, by gender. In 2018, participation in sports activities with additional health benefits among adult women was 20.9 percent.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024, the share of women participating in sports in Japan amounted to 74.7 percent, while that of men amounted to 80.2 percent. Men tended to have higher participation rates in sports than women.

In a survey conducted in 2024 in Japan, 62.8 percent of male adults stated that they participated in walking as a physical exercise. 17 percent said they participated in jogging or did a marathon during the past year.

The number of people participating in track and field athletics in England increased between 2021 and 2022. In 2022, approximately 176 thousand people participated in track and field at least twice in the past four weeks in England. Traditional Sporting Festivals
The history of athletics can be traced back at least as far as pre-industrial Britain taking place at traditional fairs and festivals such as the Cotswold Olimpick Games, a sports festival which emerged in 17th century England. These festivals and fairs would take place on church holy days, such as Easter, and were seen as a chance for celebration and enjoyment. Here lower class men would compete in events such as stick fighting, running, climbing a greasy pole and wrestling. These activities were seen as ‘athletic’ events and were an opportunity for the lower class men to show off their power and strength to the village.
Pedestrianism
British aristocrats pitting would wager upon a race between their carriage footmen, constrained to walk by the speed of their masters' carriages. By the end of the 18th century, and especially with the growth of the popular press, feats of foot travel over great distances gained attention, and were labelled "pedestrianism". One of the most notable exponent of this long distance walking was Captain Robert Barclay Allardice. In April 2002 five British athletes repeated the unique feat of Captain Allardice who ran 1000 miles in 1000 hours for a wager of over 1000 guineas at Newmarket Heath 200 years ago. That is, a mile an hour, every hour, every day and night for six weeks. Pedestrianism was first codified in the latter half of the 19th century, evolving into what became racewalking, thus diverging from what eventually became cross country, fell running, other track and field athletics, and recreational hiking or hillwalking.
Post-Industrial Revolution
The industrial revolution, with the migration of the rural population into urban areas, brought these two sporting past times together. The resultant athletic events became extremely popular in such towns and cities, with purpose-built facilities in most major cities by the mid-nineteenth century. Walking and running races took place over set distances on race courses. Enormous cash prizes were offered for the races and they were a popular activity for the press, crowds of working class spectators, and the betting public until the late 19th Century.

In 1866, the Amateur Athletic Club (AAC) was formed by ex-public school and ex-university men who excluded the working classes, or those earning money from running, from membership of the AAC. Emphasising endeavour, fair play, courage and no wagering, the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) , established on 24 April 1880, withdrew the exclusion clause and opened up the sport to everyone. A professional became defined as somebody who ran for money as opposed to someone from the working classes. Track and field athletics was not deemed to be an acceptable activity for women, as it was thought unladylike and did not have an appropriate dress code. The Women's AAA was not founded until 1922.

Athletics was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960, and it has been as one of the foremost competitions of the event ever since. Originally for men only, the 1928 Olympics saw the introduction of women's events in the athletics programme. More information about sports in England can be found in the Dossier: Sport in England - Public funding and participation.

In 2022-/23, around 91.4 percent of children in England participated in a sport. This represented a slight decrease from the previous year's participation rate of 91.6 percent.

In a survey conducted in November 2024 in Japan, around 62.1 percent of respondents stated that they had walked for physical exercise purposes. Walking was the most prevalent activity engaged in as a physical exercise, followed by working out. According to the survey data, the majority of respondents engaged in individual sports that are free to do, such as walking and gymnastics.  Who participates in sports? Sport is widely practiced in Japan. Physical education classes in educational institutions are compulsory, and many children and adolescents choose to partake in after-school sports clubs. Adult sports participation is considerable among all age groups, with young adults and older generations showing higher participation rates, while cohorts in the middle of the age spectrum had the lowest participation rates. Men’s sports participation is slightly higher than women’s sports participation rate.    Attitude towards exercise and sports  The relationship of young Japanese with sports is healthy, as the majority of teenagers state that they like doing sports and exercise at least to some extent. This positive attitude towards sports also applies to adults, with the majority stating that sports are important to them, at least to some extent. However, not everybody is into sports, as can be seen in the leading reasons for not doing sports in Japan.

The statistic depicts the participation rate in selected physical activities in the United States in 2021, by age group. During the survey, 70 percent of Millennial respondents stated that they participated in fitness sports in 2021.

According to a study conducted at the end of 2023, China reported the highest physical activity participation among 22 countries studied worldwide. At that time, nearly eight out of ten Chinese respondents said that they engaged in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise.

In 2020, 67 percent of female Singapore residents claimed to regularly engage in sports and exercise, compared to 70 percent of male Singapore residents. The sports participation rate for both genders had been increasing over the past few years.

From November 2022 to November 2023, approximately 75.8 percent of women in England participated in sport at least twice a month at any intensity. This represented a slight increase on the previous survey period.

According to a survey conducted in November 2024, 61.5 percent of women in Japan aged between 18 and 79 years were practicing walking as a physical exercise. 23.4 percent stated that they have not participated in any sports or physical activities during the past year.