Contents
- Disability sport participation statistics: weekly participation and sport regularity
- Disability sport participation statistics by age, gender, and disability status
- Disability sport participation statistics across countries and Australian regions
- Disability sport participation statistics by activity and age group
- Disability sport participation statistics: physical activity, walking, and exercise
- Disability sport participation statistics for clubs and community organizations
- Sources
Disability sport participation statistics: weekly participation and sport regularity
In Australia, an estimated 492,000 adults with disability aged 18 or older took part in a sport-related activity at least once a week in 2024–2025, representing 14% of that population. A separate estimate counted 369,000 adults, or 11%, involved in a non-playing sport role at least once in the previous year. The first measure is about weekly activity; the second includes non-playing involvement at any time during the year. Source: Sport and persons with disability
Canada’s 2024 survey asked adults identifying as having a disability about sport in the preceding year. It defined sport as physical activity involving competition, rules, and development of specific skills. Participation was reported by 21% of adults identifying as having a disability. Among those respondents with a disability who played sport, 46% participated for fewer than 6 months of the year. Looking at frequency during the months they did participate, 19% said they took part 4 or more times per week. These measures describe different aspects of continuity: participation across months and frequency within participating months. Source: Sport Participation by disability status
| Measure | Population and period | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sport-related activity at least once a week | Australian adults with disability aged 18+, 2024–2025 | 492,000; 14% |
| Non-playing sport role at least once in previous year | Australian adults with disability aged 18+, 2024–2025 | 369,000; 11% |
| Sport in preceding year | Canadian adults identifying as having a disability, 2024 survey | 21% |
| Sport for fewer than 6 months | Canadian sport participants identifying as having a disability, 2024 survey | 46% |
| Sport 4 or more times per week in participating months | Canadian sport participants identifying as having a disability, 2024 survey | 19% |
Sources: Sport and persons with disability; Sport Participation by disability status
The Australian weekly estimate and the Canadian past-year measure should not be treated as equivalent participation rates. The Australian figure covers any sport-related activity at least weekly among adults aged 18 or older with disability. The Canadian survey asks about sport as defined by competition, rules, and skill development over the prior year. Each captures a different part of participation, so the percentages make most sense with their definitions and reference periods attached. Sources: Sport and persons with disability; Sport Participation by disability status
Disability sport participation statistics by age, gender, and disability status
Australia’s 2024–2025 estimates show weekly sport-related activity among 17% of men with disability aged 18 or older, or 256,000 people. Among women with disability in the same age range, the estimate was 11%, or 226,000 people. These are estimates of adults who participated at least once a week, not of everyone who took part at any point in the year. Source: Sport and persons with disability
In Canada’s 2024 survey, 28% of men identifying as having a disability reported sport participation in the past year. The corresponding figure among women identifying as having a disability was 13%. Age-specific figures in the survey show that among adults aged 45–64, 14% of those citing a disability participated in sport, compared with 23% of adults of the same age without disability. Among adults aged 65 or older, participation was reported by 7% of those citing a disability and 15% of those without disability. All of these Canadian figures refer to sport during the preceding 12 months. Source: Sport Participation by disability status
| Population and measure | Group | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Australia, weekly sport-related activity, 2024–2025; adults with disability aged 18+ | Men | 256,000; 17% |
| Australia, weekly sport-related activity, 2024–2025; adults with disability aged 18+ | Women | 226,000; 11% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, 2024 survey | Men identifying as having a disability | 28% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, 2024 survey | Women identifying as having a disability | 13% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, ages 45–64 | With disability | 14% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, ages 45–64 | Without disability | 23% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, ages 65+ | With disability | 7% |
| Canada, sport in preceding year, ages 65+ | Without disability | 15% |
Sources: Sport and persons with disability; Sport Participation by disability status
The Australian and Canadian gender figures come from separate measures and periods, so they should be understood within their own survey context. The Canadian age comparisons are limited here to adults aged 45 and older; the figures do not provide rates for younger age groups. These descriptive results show variation by reported group and survey measure, but they do not establish why participation differs. Sources: Sport and persons with disability; Sport Participation by disability status
Disability sport participation statistics across countries and Australian regions
For Australia in 2024–2025, estimated weekly sport-related participation among adults with disability aged 18 or older varied across states and territories. Counts show the estimated number of participants, while percentages show the share of adults with disability in each jurisdiction who participated at least once a week. Source: Sport and persons with disability
| Australian jurisdiction | Estimated weekly participants; share of adults with disability aged 18+ |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | 11,000; 20% |
| New South Wales | 136,000; 13% |
| Northern Territory | 5,000; 19% |
| Queensland | 116,000; 14% |
| South Australia | 33,000; 14% |
| Tasmania | 11,000; 14% |
| Victoria | 132,000; 15% |
| Western Australia | 47,000; 14% |
Source: Sport and persons with disability
Among the listed jurisdictions, the estimated share ranged from 13% in New South Wales to 20% in the Australian Capital Territory. The largest listed counts were 136,000 in New South Wales and 132,000 in Victoria; the Northern Territory estimate was 5,000. A count reflects population size as well as participation, whereas a rate expresses the estimated share within the jurisdiction’s adult disability population. Neither figure by itself describes the availability or accessibility of local sport services. Source: Sport and persons with disability
Scotland reported a different type of comparison for 2023. Among adults aged 16–59, 32% of adults with disability participated in sport, compared with 56% of adults without disability. In this source, disability means the presence of a long-term life-limiting illness. The Scottish indicator, age scope, and definition differ from the Australian estimate of weekly sport-related activity, so these figures should be read separately rather than used to rank countries. Source: Adults - Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation
Disability sport participation statistics by activity and age group
Australian estimates for 2024–2025 list popular sport-related activities by age among people with disability. The source presents these as estimated participants; it does not attach a weekly frequency to each activity count. The table therefore reports estimated participation by activity, not weekly participation. Source: Sport and persons with disability
| Age group | Activity | Estimated participants |
|---|---|---|
| 18–24 | Running or jogging | 51,000 |
| 18–24 | Swimming | 43,000 |
| 18–24 | Football or soccer | 17,000 |
| 18–24 | Basketball | 16,000 |
| 18–24 | Cycling | 15,000 |
| 25–54 | Swimming | 198,000 |
| 25–54 | Running or jogging | 110,000 |
| 25–54 | Cycling | 88,000 |
| 25–54 | Football or soccer | 40,000 |
| 25–54 | Tennis | 35,000 |
| 25–54 | Golf | 32,000 |
| 55+ | Swimming | 168,000 |
| 55+ | Cycling | 92,000 |
| 55+ | Golf | 58,000 |
| 55+ | Running or jogging | 28,000 |
| 55+ | Bowls | 21,000 |
Source: Sport and persons with disability
Swimming is listed in each age band: the estimates are 43,000 participants aged 18–24, 198,000 aged 25–54, and 168,000 aged 55+. Cycling is listed at 15,000, 88,000, and 92,000 across the same age groups. Running or jogging is estimated at 51,000, 110,000, and 28,000. These are counts, not age-specific rates: no age-group population denominators accompany them here, so they do not show the proportion of people in each band who participated. Source: Sport and persons with disability
The other listed activities differ across age bands. Football or soccer and basketball appear in the 18–24 list; football or soccer, tennis, and golf appear in the 25–54 list; golf and bowls appear in the 55+ list. These are the activities shown in the source’s age-specific list, not an exhaustive inventory of every sport or a measure of preference. Source: Sport and persons with disability
Disability sport participation statistics: physical activity, walking, and exercise
Scottish indicators provide context on physical activity beyond sport participation. In 2024, among adults aged 16–64, 49% of adults with disability met moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendations, compared with 71% of adults without disability. Very low activity levels were reported by 36% of adults with disability and 17% of adults without disability. Muscle-strengthening recommendations were met by 21% and 35%, respectively. For these indicators, the Scottish source defines disability as a long-term life-limiting illness. Source: Adults - Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation
| Scotland measure | Year and age scope | With disability | Without disability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Met moderate-to-vigorous physical activity recommendations | 2024; ages 16–64 | 49% | 71% |
| Very low activity levels | 2024; ages 16–64 | 36% | 17% |
| Met muscle-strengthening recommendations | 2024; ages 16–64 | 21% | 35% |
| Mean weekday leisure sedentary time | 2024; ages 16–64 | 6.5 hours | 5.2 hours |
| Participated in recreational walking | 2023; ages 16–59 | 50% | 79% |
Source: Adults - Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation
Mean weekday leisure sedentary time in 2024 was 6.5 hours for adults with disability and 5.2 hours for adults without disability. This is a measure of leisure sedentary time on a weekday, rather than total daily sitting. Recreational walking was measured separately in 2023 among adults aged 16–59: participation was 50% for adults with disability and 79% for adults without disability. Walking in this measure is recreational activity, not the sport indicator reported above. Source: Adults - Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation
Together, these Scottish measures describe different dimensions: guideline attainment, very low activity, muscle-strengthening, leisure sedentary time, and recreational walking. They come from separate indicators, and the walking figures have a different year and age scope from the physical activity indicators. Keeping those distinctions visible is necessary when comparing the reported percentages. Source: Adults - Sport and Physical Activity: State of the Nation
Disability sport participation statistics for clubs and community organizations
Participation in sport-related organizations can include forms of involvement beyond playing. In England, 27.6% of disabled adults aged 16 or older had participated in a sport or exercise group during the 12 months before the year ending March 2018, compared with 43.1% of non-disabled adults. The measure includes taking part, coaching, or going to watch, so it covers group involvement rather than players alone. The bulletin identifies these figures as historical and says it is not the latest release. Source: Disability and social participation, England: 2018
Canada’s 2020 measure concerns people aged 15 or older who were members or participants in a sports or recreational organization during the preceding 12 months. Among people with disabilities, 46% of men+ and 38% of women+ met that description. Among people without disabilities, the reported figures were 56%* for men+ and 45%* for women+. The source’s “men+” and “women+” categories include redistributed non-binary respondents, and the asterisks are shown as printed. Source: Article 30: Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport
| Country and period | Group, age, and measure | With disability | Without disability |
|---|---|---|---|
| England, year ending March 2018 | Adults aged 16+; sport or exercise group involvement in previous 12 months | 27.6% | 43.1% |
| Canada, 2020 | People aged 15+; men+ in a sports or recreational organization in previous 12 months | 46% | 56%* |
| Canada, 2020 | People aged 15+; women+ in a sports or recreational organization in previous 12 months | 38% | 45%* |
Sources: Disability and social participation, England: 2018; Article 30: Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport
The England measure captures involvement in a sport or exercise group, including watching and coaching. Canada’s measure records membership or participation in a sports or recreational organization. Neither is identical to individual sport participation or weekly activity. The populations, reporting periods, and definitions differ, so the figures are best used to describe the specific kinds of community connection each survey measured. Sources: Disability and social participation, England: 2018; Article 30: Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport