Men in Sport
Sport is an important activity for many Australian males. 1 Motivations to participate include benefits to health and fitness, as a social activity, and because it’s fun. 2
Because so many men and boys are already engaged in sport – as participants, volunteers, employees, and fans – it can be an important vehicle for bringing together different age-groups, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds, and to encourage healthy individual and social behaviours. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Addressing barriers to participation, especially for certain groups (e.g., those with disability or from lower socio-economic backgrounds) can help create an equitable and diverse sport environment that allows everyone enjoy the benefits of sport. 8, 9
In December 2024 Australia’s estimated resident population was 27,400,0113 people, 49.6% (13,603,493) were men and boys. Around 34% of the male population participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week in 2024. 1, 10
Participation 2024
An estimated 3,657,000 (34% of) Australian men [aged 15+] participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week. 1
An estimated 888,000 (36% of) Australian boys [aged 0-14] participated in organised outside-of-school hours sport-related activity at least once a week. 1
Around 1,914,000 (17% of) Australian men [aged 15+] were involved in a non-playing role at least once in 2024. 11
Estimated sport-related participation by age group1
Estimated sport-related participation at least once a week by State/Territory, Men [15+] 1
- Australian Capital Territory - 73,000 (37%)
- New South Wales - 1,157,000 (34%)
- Northern Territory* - 44,000 (46%)
- Queensland - 698,000 (32%)
- South Australia - 234,000 (31%)
- Tasmania - 73,000 (32%)
- Victoria - 957,000 (24%)
- Western Australia - 421,000 (36%)
An estimated 257,000 [17% of] Australian men [aged 18+] with disability participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week. 1
An estimated 189,000 [31% of] First Nations' men [aged 18+] participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week. 1
An estimated 618,000 [37% of] Australian men [aged 18+] who speak a language other than English (LOTE) at home participated in a sport-related activity at least once a week. 1
Most popular sport-related activities with estimated participants 12
Boys aged 0-14 | Young Adult aged 15-24 | Adult aged 25-54 | Mature Adult aged 55+ |
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REFERENCES
- AusPlay Data Portal: Sport-related participation – frequency of participation, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 4 August 2025).
- AusPlay - National Sport and Physical Activity Participation Report - 2022, Australian Sports Commission, (November 2022)
- Sons of the West, opens in a new tab [program], Western Bulldogs, (accessed 15 August 2023).
- The community network: an Aboriginal community football club bringing people together, opens in a new tab, Alister Thorpe, Wendy Anders, Kevin Rowley, Australian Journal of Primary Health, Volume 20(4), pp.356-364, (August 2014).
- The longitudinal study of Australian children: 2015 Annual report: Chapter 5, Australian children’s screen time and participation in extracurricular activities, opens in a new tab, Maggie Yu and Jennifer Baxter, Growing up in Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies, (September 2016).
- Sport participation and academic performance in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis, opens in a new tab, Katherine Owen, Bridget Foley, Katrina Wilhite, et al., Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Volume 54(2), pp.299-306, (February 2022).
- Overweight and obese men’s experiences in a sport-based weight loss intervention for men, opens in a new tab, Timothy Budden, James A. Dimmock, Brett Smith, et.al., Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Volume 50, 101750, (2020).
- Effectiveness of Adult Health Promotion Interventions Delivered Through Professional Sport: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, opens in a new tab, Emma George, Aymen El Masri, Dominika Kwasnicka, Sports Medicine, Volume 52, pp.2637-2655, (June 2022).
- Value and Benefits of Sport: Social and mental wellbeing, Clearinghouse for Sport, (accessed 15 August 2023).
- National, state and territory population: December 2024, opens in a new tab, Australian Bureau of Statistics, (19 June 2025)
- AusPlay Data Portal: non-playing roles, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 4 August 2025)
- AusPlay Data Portal: Participation by activity, opens in a new tab, Australian Sports Commission, (accessed 4 August 2025)
Last updated: 16 July 2025 Content disclaimer: See Clearinghouse for Sport disclaimer
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