Sport participation in the UK - Data and Analysis (2001-2033)

IBISWorld expects that sport participation by this measure to be 65.3% in 2026-27, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. Over the five years through 2026-27, the proportion of people participating in sport is estimated to inch upwards. Social media has played a growing role in supporting sport participation over the past five years. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Strava have raised the profile of accessible activities like running, gym training and padel, with fitness influencers and user-generated content making exercise more visible and aspirational, particularly among younger adults. The rise of social run clubs, often organised and promoted through social media, has reframed exercise as a social activity, helping attract people who may have been put off by traditional competitive sport. Fitness-tracking apps with built-in sharing features have also encouraged consistency by letting users log activity, set challenges and compare progress with friends. However, social media's influence has been concentrated among younger, digitally engaged demographics, which has limited its effect on overall participation and helps explain why the proportion of active adults has only inched upwards.