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.
