Over two-thirds of U.S. adults participated in sports or exercise in a recent year. Yet only a quarter expressed high confidence in their ability to maintain a regular routine.
Key Takeaways
- 68.2% of U.S. adults participated in sports in the last 12 months in 2022 (any sports/exercise activity)
- 44.9% of Canadians aged 15+ reported participating in sports and exercise at least once a week in 2022
- In the US, 45.0 million people participated in fitness/weights in 2023
- The global athletic footwear market was $82.1 billion in 2023
- The global fitness club/health club market was $99.0 billion in 2023
- The global online sports streaming market was $11.8 billion in 2023
- In the US, 15% of adults cited weather as a barrier to participating in sports/physical activity in 2023
- In 2022, 12% of Canadians reported they had a health condition limiting physical activity
- In the UK, the number of parkruns (weekly 5k events) exceeded 1,000 locations in 2023
- Adults with higher leisure-time physical activity levels had a 20% lower all-cause mortality risk (meta-analysis estimate)
- Regular physical activity reduces risk of cardiovascular disease by about 20–30% (scientific statement range)
- Physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes/week vigorous intensity
- In Australia, 56% of adults reported participating in sport or physical activity at least once a month in 2022
- In the US, 39% of adults with disabilities reported any physical activity in 2023
About two thirds of US adults and nearly half of Canadians regularly participate in sports, supporting major health benefits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Participation Rates3 stats
Interpretation
Participation Rates Interpretation
In the participation rates category, Americans show the broadest participation at 68.2% of adults taking part in sports or exercise in the last 12 months in 2022, while weekly engagement is notably lower with 44.9% of Canadians aged 15+ reporting at least weekly participation in 2022 and 45.0 million people in the US participating in fitness or weights in 2023.
02 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
The global athletic footwear market was $82.1 billion in 2023[4]
02
The global fitness club/health club market was $99.0 billion in 2023[5]
03
The global online sports streaming market was $11.8 billion in 2023[6]
04
The global sports nutrition market was $53.6 billion in 2023[7]
05
The US sports media/streaming services market generated $6.9 billion in 2023[8]
06
The global sports ticketing market was $8.9 billion in 2023[6]
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size for sports participation is clearly substantial and diversified in 2023, totaling tens of billions across key areas such as $99.0 billion for fitness clubs and $82.1 billion for athletic footwear, with additional momentum from sports nutrition at $53.6 billion and ticketing at $8.9 billion.
03 · Category
Barriers & Trends6 stats
01
In the US, 15% of adults cited weather as a barrier to participating in sports/physical activity in 2023[1]
02
In 2022, 12% of Canadians reported they had a health condition limiting physical activity[2]
03
In the UK, the number of parkruns (weekly 5k events) exceeded 1,000 locations in 2023[9]
04
In 2023, 45% of global sports organizations reported adopting data analytics in operations (survey of sports organizations)[10]
05
In 2023, 28% of US adults were “very confident” they can exercise regularly (survey estimate)[11]
06
In the US, 38% of adults report they participate in sports/exercise indoors at least once a week (survey estimate)[1]
Interpretation
Barriers & Trends Interpretation
The data suggests that while participation is actively influenced by practical barriers such as weather, with 15% of US adults citing it in 2023, there are also clear momentum signals, including 38% of US adults exercising indoors weekly and 1,000 plus UK parkrun locations in 2023, pointing to a trend toward finding new ways to stay active despite constraints.
More related reading
04 · Category
Health & Outcomes9 stats
01
Adults with higher leisure-time physical activity levels had a 20% lower all-cause mortality risk (meta-analysis estimate)[12]
02
Regular physical activity reduces risk of cardiovascular disease by about 20–30% (scientific statement range)[13]
03
Physical activity guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75 minutes/week vigorous intensity[1]
04
Strength training 2+ days/week can reduce all-cause mortality by 15% (meta-analysis estimate)[14]
05
Sport participation is linked to mental health benefits; participating in sports is associated with 30% lower risk of depression (meta-analysis)[15]
06
Physical activity is associated with improved sleep; exercise intervention studies show reductions in insomnia symptoms by about 20% (meta-analysis)[16]
07
In a large meta-analysis, physical activity interventions reduced anxiety symptoms by a standardized mean difference of ~0.40[12]
08
Youth sport participation is associated with better self-esteem; 36% higher odds of positive self-concept reported in a cohort study[17]
09
Sports participation reduces obesity risk; physical activity is associated with ~10% lower odds of overweight/obesity (meta-analysis estimate)[18]
Interpretation
Health & Outcomes Interpretation
Across Health and Outcomes, regularly moving delivers measurable health gains, including about a 20% lower all-cause mortality risk with higher leisure-time activity, around a 15% reduction in all-cause mortality from strength training two or more days per week, and roughly a 30% lower risk of depression alongside about a 20% improvement in insomnia symptoms.
05 · Category
Demographics2 stats
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
From a demographics perspective, Australians show higher overall monthly sport participation at 56% in 2022, while in the US only 39% of adults with disabilities reported any physical activity in 2023, pointing to substantial differences in participation across population groups.
report visual · Comparison
Sports Participation Across Countries
A snapshot of participation levels shows variation by country and reporting frequency.
68.2% of U.S. adults participated in sports in the last 12 months in 2022 (any sports/exercise activity)68.2%
In Australia, 56% of adults reported participating in sport or physical activity at least once a month in 2022
56%
44.9% of Canadians aged 15+ reported participating in sports and exercise at least once a week in 2022
44.9%
In the US, 39% of adults with disabilities reported any physical activity in 2023
39%
source-verifiedcdc.gov · www150.statcan.gc.ca · aihw.gov.au2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Sport Participation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sport-participation-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "Sport Participation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sport-participation-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Sport Participation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sport-participation-statistics.
Sources & references
19 sources cited across this report
cdc.gov
- www150.statcan.gc.ca
- istria.org
mordorintelligence.com
globenewswire.com
alliedmarketresearch.com
gminsights.com
fortunebusinessinsights.com
parkrun.com
sportsmarketingjournal.com
apa.org
thelancet.com
ahajournals.org
bmj.com
nature.com
sciencedirect.com
journals.sagepub.com
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- aihw.gov.au