Skip to main content
. 2025 Aug 22;25:2889. doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-24011-5

Table 1.

Demographic characteristics of participants in ausplay by year

2016
n (%)
2017
n (%)
2018
n (%)
2019
n (%)
2020
n (%)
2021
n (%)
2022
n (%)
2023
n (%)
All 22,889 22,999 23,624 22,912 22,776 22,818 22,762 7,898
Gender
Male 11,012 (50) 11,292 (50) 11,527 (50.1) 11,781 (50) 12,186 (49.5) 12,451 (49.4) 12,452 (49.5) 4,292 (49.6)
Female 11,877 (50) 11,707 (50) 12,097 (49.9) 11,131 (50) 10,590 (50.5) 10,367 (50.6) 10,310 (50.5) 3,606 (50.4)
Age group
5–11 years 1,842 (10.1) 1,606 (10.1) 1,589 (10.1) 1,492 (9.8) 1,724 (9.4) 1,739 (9.4) 1,718 (9.2) 608 (9.2)
12–14 years 1,025 (3.8) 888 (3.7) 983 (3.8) 891 (3.8) 1,038 (3.9) 1,052 (3.9) 1,023 (3.9) 371 (3.9)
15–17 years 495 (3.4) 576 (3.6) 521 (3.3) 564 (3.5) 628 (3.7) 531 (3.7) 520 (3.8) 164 (3.9)
18–24 years 1,646 (10.3) 1,803 (9.9) 1,553 (10.1) 1,922 (10) 2541 (9.9) 2,351 (9.8) 2,274 (9.6) 832 (9.6)
25–44 years 5,010 (30.2) 4,897 (30.2) 4,534 (30.1) 5,330 (30.1) 6,260 (30.4) 6,208 (30.5) 6,334 (30.7) 2,145 (30.6)
45–64 years 7,127 (26.2) 7,125 (26.1) 7,214 (26) 6,827 (25.8) 6,536 (25.6) 6,606 (25.3) 6,527 (25.1) 2,271 (25.0)
65 + years 5,744 (16.1) 6,104 (16.4) 7,230 (16.6) 5,886 (16.9) 4,049 (17.2) 4,331 (17.4) 4,366 (17.6) 1,507 (17.8)
Outcomes (regular participationa) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI) % (95% CI)
All leisure time physical activity 54.9 (54.1, 55.8) 58.7 (57.9, 59.6) 58.2 (57.4, 59.1) 59 (58.2, 59.8) 58.1 (57.4, 58.8) 56.4 (55.7, 57.1) 56.5 (55.8, 57.2) 56.3 (54.9, 57.6)
Active recreation 29.7 (29, 30.5) 30.9 (30.1, 31.7) 32.1 (31.3, 32.9) 33.8 (33.1, 34.6) 35.7 (35.1, 36.4) 36 (35.3, 36.7) 36.5 (35.8, 37.2) 37.6 (36.3, 38.9)
Sport 36.0 (35.2, 36.8) 38 (37.2, 38.9) 37.6 (36.8, 38.4) 39.3 (38.5, 40) 40.2 (39.5, 40.9) 39.6 (38.9, 40.3) 39.9 (39.2, 40.6) 39.4 (38.1, 40.8)
Team sport 13.8 (13.2, 14.4) 14.6 (14, 15.3) 13.4 (12.8, 14) 14.6 (14, 15.2) 13.8 (13.3, 14.3) 14.0 (13.5, 14.5) 15.4 (14.9, 16) 14.5 (13.6, 15.5)
Individual sport 30.7 (29.9, 31.4) 32.1 (31.3, 32.9) 32 (31.2, 32.8) 33.4 (32.7, 34.2) 35.7 (35, 36.3) 35.4 (34.7, 36.1) 35 (34.3, 35.7) 35.1 (33.8, 36.4)
Walking 29.8 (29.1, 30.5) 29.4 (28.6, 30.1) 30.7 (29.9, 31.4) 29.7 (29, 30.3) 32.8 (32.2, 33.5) 33.1 (32.4, 33.7) 30.1 (29.4, 30.7) 29.3 (28.1, 30.5)

Frequencies are unweighted and proportions are weighed

aRegular participation is at least three times per week