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Participation - NZ adults

Participation in sport and active leisure by New Zealand Adults

Participation in sport and active leisure by New Zealand adults
Census 2001 group
figure: 2,728,896		 % Adults taking part
in the last:		 # Adults taking part
in the last:		 # Respondents
 
Sports 4 weeks 12 months 4 weeks 12 months 4 weeks 12 months
Athletics 1% 2% 17,200 58,200 64 218
Badminton 1% 4% 33,900 107,500 150 429
Basketball 3% 6% 69,100 167,300 255 616
Outdoor bowls 2% 4% 53,800 105,900 260 523
Indoor bowls 2% 4% 54,800 114,500 285 562
Outdoor cricket 3% 8% 87,300 224,900 333 828
Indoor cricket 1% 3% 29,400 79,900 100 274
Competitive cycling <1% 1% 11,700 29,800 48 128
Golf 10% 18% 272,100 502,000 1138 2081
Hockey 1% 1% 17,200 39,000 80 183
Horse riding 2% 5% 53,700 133,400 260 599
Motor sports 3% 6% 84,500 162,200 364 682
Netball 3% 7% 88,400 184,600 356 767
Rowing 1% 2% 18,500 44,600 81 193
Rugby Union 2% 6% 61,100 158,100 226 569
Rugby League 1% 3% 31,800 70,000 110 254
Shooting 3% 6% 75,800 157,000 335 674
Skiing 1% 6% 30,000 163,300 126 649
Soccer 3% 5% 73,200 143,300 287 559
Softball <1% 2% 12,300 44,000 49 187
Squash 2% 5% 59,200 130,900 232 517
Surf life saving <1% <1% 3,700 11,600 14 49
Tennis 5% 12% 129,300 317,900 517 1313
Touch football 4% 10% 106,600 260,900 380 954
Triathlon <1% 1% 4,400 24,900 21 113
Volleyball 2% 4% 43,800 115,700 169 460
Yachting/sailing etc. 2% 5% 53,300 149,900 253 699
Waka <1% <1% 2,500 7,400 16 36
Active Leisure  
Aerobics 4% 10% 111,500 286,000 510 1248
Aquarobics 2% 5% 45,200 132,900 187 569
Recreational cycling 8% 15% 218,900 411,300 1004 1809
Exercise classes 11% 19% 310,500 522,100 1246 2102
Exercising at home 23% 31% 638,200 852,000 2907 3837
Fishing 11% 25% 294,400 674,300 1415 3150
Gardening 52% 60% 1,407,200 1,630,500 6922 7941
Mountain biking 3% 6% 76,500 177,200 326 655
Running/jogging etc. 10% 14% 263,900 388,100 1044 1508
Surfing/body boarding 3% 7% 70,000 200,900 290 809
Swimming 16% 36% 442,600 994,800 1973 4415
Tramping 4% 12% 122,700 322,800 592 1477
ANY WALKING 64% 72% 1,753,400 1,958,500 8174 9083
Kapa haka 1% 1% 15,900 20,400 73 102
Taiaha <1% <1% 1,900 4,100 9 17
Mau rakau <1% <1% 3,000 4,800 13 19
Other physical activities 9% 15% 244,500 417,500 1089 1834
NO physical activities 7% 2% 196,800 62,200 934 335
 
Total 100% 100% 2,728,900 2,728,900 12569 12569

PLEASE NOTE:
  1. The figures in this table are from a sample survey and so are estimates of the percentage and number of participants in each sport and activity. The accuracy of the estimates varies with the number of respondents the figures are based on (see columns 5 and 6). For sports/activities mentioned by less than 100 respondents, the figures should be used to indicate the level of participation in these sports/activities and not to provide exact figures.
  2. These figures do not refer to registered members of a national sporting code.
  3. The percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number (<1 indicates that less than 0.5% of adults took part in the sport/activity). The numbers of participants are rounded to the nearest hundred and are calculated using the percentages before rounding and the number of New Zealand adults recorded in the 2001 Census.
  4. People may participate in the sports/activities shown in this table on a casual basis and/or with a club or organisation.
  5. The figures in this table are from the 1997, 1998 and 2000 Combined Sport and Physical Activity Surveys.
  6. Motor sports includes motorcycling, trail biking and motor racing.

Updated | 30 Mar 2006.

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