Most of us have a favourite sport—whether we practice it on the rink or in the pool, engaging in sport is a great way to stay active and get involved in your community.
Involvement in sport is just one example of participating in Canadian society, and represents a key well-being indicator in the Quality of Life Framework.
New data from the Survey Series on People and their Communities, collected from May 5 to July 25, 2023, provide information on sport engagement across the country.
Throughout Canada, people from all walks of life participated in some type of sport in the 12 months preceding the survey, with more than half (55%) of people aged 15 years and older reporting participating in sports such as soccer, ice hockey, swimming and running. Overall, men (62%) were more likely to have participated in sports than women (49%).
Among those who participated in some type of sport over the previous 12 months, swimming was the most common (35%), followed by cycling (33%) and running (27%).
The popularity of specific sports varied across racialized groups. Swimming topped the list overall but was the leading sport for only the non-racialized population (37%), West Asians (36%) and Koreans (36%).
Running was the favourite sport among the greatest number of people in racialized groups. Chinese (40%), Japanese (35%), Southeast Asian (35%), South Asian (33%) and Black (32%) people participated in running more than any other sport, as well as people belonging to two or more racial or cultural groups (i.e., multiple racialized groups) (37%).
Soccer was another popular sport among racialized groups. It was most common among the Arab population (40%) and was the second most common sport for Black respondents (31%).
In general, the Canadian-born population was more likely to have participated in winter sports, such as ice hockey, skating, skiing and snowboarding, than immigrants, who were more likely to have played soccer, tennis or basketball.
Organized sports and games can have a variety of positive impacts on one's mental and physical health.
When asked about motivation, 82% of people who took part in sports cited physical health and fitness, followed by fun, recreation or relaxation (70%), mental health benefits (65%) and doing activities with friends (54%).
Participating in organized sports and activities, whether recreationally or competitively, is a great way to socialize and meet new friends in your community.
Overall, 83% of sports players reported playing recreationally, outside of a club or league. This was sometimes done in combination with more structured recreational programs, through a club or league, such as group fitness, intramural sports or sport clubs.
While playing a sport is consistently ranked as the most common form of civic engagement, the prevalence, motivations to play, and barriers to participate vary by gender, racialized group and immigration status.
For more data and further analysis of sports participation by gender and racialized groups, check out the release, Participation in Canadian society through sport and work.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).