Sport and active recreation participation in New Zealand - Data and Analysis (1998-2034)

Sport and active recreation participation in New Zealand has rebounded sharply in recent years, but the underlying trend remains mildly negative once the latest survey uplift is normalised. Active NZ data show that adults reporting any sport or active recreation in the past seven days increased from the low-70s in 2017-2023 to around 80% in 2024/25, following a refresh of the survey design, a shift to financial-year reporting and updated weighting to reflect the current population profile. These methodological changes, combined with post-COVID recovery and halo effects from global events like the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, have temporarily pushed participation above historic norms.IBISWorld forecasts that New Zealanders' sport and active recreation participation will increase by 0.5 percentage points in 2026-27, to 78.4% of the population aged 18 and over. Overall, IBISWorld forecasts participation in sport and active recreation to increase at an average annual rate of 1.00 percentage points over the five years through 2026-27, indicating that the uplift seen in the latest survey is expected to be only correct briefly before rising again. Growth is being driven by rising health consciousness, strong demand for non-organised physical activity like running, swimming and gym-based exercise and commercial group fitness offerings that appeal to adults with busy schedules.Government support has also underpinned the sector's recovery. The $264.6 million sport and recreation funding package introduced in Budget 2020 helped stabilise clubs and facilities and supported a wide range of community programs, while ongoing Sport NZ initiatives now target less-active groups, disability sport, children and young people and women and girls. Although survey evidence still highlights time, cost and competing screen-based leisure as key barriers, these headwinds are increasingly being offset by policy support, flexible participation options and growing awareness of the physical and mental health benefits of being active. As a result, current elevated participation levels appear to be becoming structurally embedded, with the rate forecast to remain within a mid-to-high-70s band.