Sport Participation in Canada
by Statistics Canada for Sport Canada
1994

Highlights

• In 1992, 9.6 million Canadians (45%) aged 15 and over reported participating regularly in sport. More men (52%) participated regularly than women (38%). British Columbia had the highest level of regular participation (53%) and Newfoundland had the lowest (36%). Among regular participants, 4.4 million Canadians (46%) reported being involved in sport activities through a club, a league or an organization, and 3.1 million (33%) had participated in a competition and/or tournament in the 12 months preceding the survey.
  
  
• Young Canadians participated in larger proportions. Eighty-nine percent of males aged 15-18 participated regularly in sport compared with 64% of females of the same age group. While Canadians aged 55 and over had the lowest participation rates, approximately one in four participated on a regular basis (28% for males, compared with 22% for females).
  
  
• Participation rates increased with education and family income. Participation was twice as high for Canadians with a family income of more than $80,000, compared with those having a family income of less than $20,000.
  
  
• Among the various reasons for not participating in sport, lack of time was the most often mentioned by both women and men (27%), followed by lack of interest in participating (19%%), health (14%), age (11%) and for reason of disability (4%).
  
  
• Ice hockey was the most popular sport of men (13%), while swimming was reported most often by women (8%).
  
  
• Hockey, baseball, volleyball, golf and bowling were the five sports in which the largest number of people participated through an organization as well in a competition and/or tournament.
  
  
• Participation in organized school sport (other than physical education classes) increases the probability of participating regularly in sport as an adult. In 1992, 52% of the people who reported participation in organized school sport reported participating regularly in the past year, compared to 37% for those who had not participated in organized school sport.
  
  
• Among the 2,945,000 couples where both partners participated regularly (22% of all couples), 47% had one sport in common, 12% had two sports in common and 3% had three or more.
  
  
• The father's participation in sport increased the participation of his children by 11%, while the participation of the mother had a greater effect (an increase of 22% in the participation of her children).
  
  
• Parents and their single children under the age of 25 and living at home who both participated regularly in sport had one sport in common 42% of the time for fathers and 34% of the time of mothers.
  
  
• For children aged 15-24, the fact that either parent participated regularly increased their participation rate by at least 12%.
  
  
• Asked whether they belong to a sport club or local, provincial or national sport organization, 15% of Canadians aged 15 and over answered positively (20% of males, 12% of females).
  
  
• Overall, 4% of Canadians aged 15 and over were involved in amateur sport as a coach and 3% as a referee or umpire. Seventeen percent of males having two children between the ages 5 and 12 reported coaching.
  
  
• In total, 9% of Canadians were involved as volunteer helpers and 24% as spectators at amateur sport competitions. In both situations, more males than females reported doing so.