Ruqayyah Snyder
Australians have a wide range of physical activities to choose from, and the most popular ones vary across different age groups and genders. Overall, walking is the most popular physical activity in Australia, with over half of adult Australians regularly going for vigorous strolls. This is followed by going to the gym and weight training, with swimming, jogging, and yoga also being common activities. Among young Australians, swimming and soccer are the most popular, followed by cycling, basketball, and athletics. For adult males, the most popular sports are cricket, Australian football, and golf, while netball, football, basketball, and touch football are the most popular among adult females.
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What You'll Learn
Walking is the most popular physical activity for Australians
Walking is a great way to improve one's health and wellbeing, and it is an accessible activity for most people. It is a simple and free way to get some exercise, and it can be done at any time of day. Walking is also a good form of moderate physical activity, which can help to improve cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, dementia, coronary heart disease and strokes. It is also causally linked to a reduced risk of uterine and breast cancer in women.
The popularity of walking in Australia may be due to the fact that it is a free and easy way to get some exercise, especially during a time when many other sporting activities were closed due to restrictions. Walking is also a great way to explore one's local area and get some fresh air. Many Australians may also choose to walk as a means of transportation, which can help to reduce their carbon footprint and improve the environment.
Walking is followed by other popular physical activities in Australia, such as going to the gym, jogging, swimming, yoga, hiking, and cycling. These activities are also great ways to stay active and improve one's health, and they are enjoyed by millions of Australians each year. It is important to note that physical inactivity is a serious issue in Australia, with over half of adults not meeting the physical activity guidelines. Therefore, it is encouraging to see so many Australians taking up walking as a way to get some exercise and improve their health.
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Swimming is popular among young Australians
Walking, swimming, and gym training are the most popular sports and physical activities among Australians. Over half of adult Australians aged 14 and above regularly go for walks, making it the number one activity from age 35 onwards. Swimming is also a popular activity, with 1.7 million adult Australians swimming regularly.
Swimming is particularly popular among young Australians, with over two-fifths of children aged 6 to 13 (41.6%, or 1.1 million) swimming regularly. This is significantly higher than the proportion of young Australians participating in other sports such as soccer (33.4%), cycling (25.7%), basketball (24.5%), and athletics/track and field (21.6%). Swimming is an essential skill in the formative years, and it is deeply ingrained in Australian culture and national identity.
The country has a rich history of success in competitive swimming, with the Australian national team consistently winning more medals at major international meets than any other country besides the United States. Australian swimmers such as Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Libby Trickett, Kieren Perkins, and Susie O'Neill have achieved legendary status in the sport.
Swimming is also a popular recreational activity in Australia, with a unique culture surrounding it. Beach swimming, pool and river play, lessons, and racing are all part of the diverse swimming landscape in the country. The Australian government and agencies provide significant funding for public pools, water safety, and swimming education, reflecting the importance of swimming in the national culture.
However, despite the popularity and cultural significance of swimming in Australia, there are concerns about the decreasing affordability of the sport. The expense of supporting a competitive swimmer has contributed to a shrinking talent pool, with a growing proportion of national team swimmers coming from affluent backgrounds. Additionally, less than half of Australian children can swim 50 meters by the time they finish primary school, highlighting a need for improved swimming education.
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Cycling is enjoyed by Australian children
In Australia, walking for exercise is the most popular sport or activity for people aged 14 and above. This is followed by gym/weight training, jogging, swimming, yoga, hiking/bushwalking, and cycling.
Among younger Australians, swimming and soccer are the most popular sports. Cycling is enjoyed by Australian children, with around a quarter of kids aged six to 13 (25.7%, or 698,000) choosing it as their preferred activity. Cycling is also more than four times as likely to be undertaken by Australian children than adults.
Cycling is a common form of transport, recreation, and sport in Australia. It is enjoyed by many Australians because it improves their health and reduces road congestion and air pollution. The Australian government has recognised these benefits and encouraged more people to take up cycling, with various state advertising campaigns aimed at increasing safety for riders.
Cycling is a safer mode of transport than driving, although it is perceived as dangerous by many. Cycling advocacy and safety groups, such as the Amy Gillet Foundation, have called for safer road infrastructure to protect cyclists and pedestrians. The national sporting organisation AusCycling has also developed the AusBike program to teach children aged 5-12 fundamental bike-riding and road safety skills, helping them to become confident, lifelong riders.
There are also over 50 family-friendly cycling events held annually across Australia, providing opportunities for children of all ages and abilities to participate and develop their cycling skills in a fun and social environment.
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Soccer is the most widely played team sport
Walking for exercise is the most popular sport or activity that Australians participate in regularly. However, soccer is Australia's most widely played team sport, with 570,000 Australians aged 14 and above playing it regularly. It is also the second most popular sport among children, with a third of young Australians playing it.
Soccer was introduced to Australia in the late 19th century by British immigrants. The first club, Wanderers, was founded in 1880 in Sydney. The sport gained popularity after World War I due to an influx of British and southern European immigrants. It saw another boost in popularity after World War II, especially in states like New South Wales and Victoria. The introduction of the professional A-League Men in 2004 also contributed to its rise.
While Australia's A-League might not be one of the top soccer leagues worldwide, soccer remains a popular choice for spectators and participants in Australia. The sport is especially popular among younger Australians, with a participation rate second only to swimming among children up to 14 years old. The Socceroos, Australia's national soccer team, also garners a lot of attention during the World Cup.
Soccer is a popular sport for both men and women in Australia. The women's game has gained momentum in recent years, with the creation of the W-League (now A-League Women) and the success of the Matildas, Australia's women's national soccer team. Many Australians, both men and women, play for foreign clubs, particularly in England.
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Australian Football has seen a surge in female participants
Walking for exercise is the most popular sport or physical activity in Australia, with over half of adult Australians aged 14 or older regularly going for vigorous strolls. This is closely followed by going to the gym or weight training, and jogging. However, when it comes to team sports, soccer is the most widely played in Australia, with 570,000 Australians aged 14 or older playing regularly.
Among the team sports in the top 20 activities, netball, football, basketball, and touch football have the highest female participation. However, Australian Football has also seen a surge in female participants. The number of women (aged 15 or older) playing the sport at least once a week has risen from 31,542 in 2017 to 59,504 in 2018, while participation at least twice a week has gone up from 19,005 to 48,225, a 154% increase.
The first Australian rules football matches involving women were organised in the late 19th century, but they mostly occurred in the form of scratch matches, charity matches, and one-off exhibition games. The first all-female matches began in the early 20th century, and regular competition first emerged after World War II. State-based leagues began to emerge between the 1980s and 2000s, with the first being the Victorian Women's Football League (VWFL) formed in Melbourne in 1981.
The 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s saw a large expansion in the number of women playing Australian rules football. In 1998, a national program called Auskick was introduced to introduce the game to primary school-aged children. By 2007, about 16% of all Auskick participants were female. The sport received a further boost in 2007 when the organisers of the E. J. Whitten Legends Game included female participants for the first time, enabling them to play against former men's AFL players. This significantly raised the profile of women's football in Victoria, with some of the female players even outperforming their male counterparts.
In 2017, a record number of 463,364 females were playing Australian rules football across the nation, making up 30% of all participants. In 2021, the AFL's participation estimate for females rose to 530,166 participants worldwide. In 2023, more than half a million women worldwide played the sport, with 119,447 Australian adults and 66,998 youth female participants, making it the second most played code among women and girls in Australia behind soccer.
The growth of women's football in Australia has also been seen on the international stage. In 1975, an Australian team travelled to Hong Kong to compete in the Asian Women's Championship, marking the beginning of international participation for Australia's female footballers. In 2010, the Australian women's team won the AFC Women's Asian Cup on penalties against North Korea. They also reached four consecutive World Cup quarter-finals between 2007 and 2015 and sold out a match for the first time on home soil in 2017.
The increase in female participation in Australian Football is also part of a broader trend of encouraging physical activity in Australia. Physical inactivity is a leading preventable cause of ill health and premature death in Australia, contributing to around 8,300 deaths in 2018. Initiatives like Sport Australia's #FindYour30 aim to motivate Australian adults to find 30 minutes of physical activity a day.
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Frequently asked questions
The most popular physical activities in Australia include walking, swimming, going to the gym, jogging, yoga, hiking, cycling, and soccer.
Swimming, soccer, cycling, basketball, and athletics are the most popular physical activities for children in Australia.
The activities with the largest percentage of adult male participation in Australia are cricket, Australian football, and golf.
The most popular physical activity for adult women in Australia is walking, followed by aerobics, fitness, and gym activities.
