Purpose
This report provides an update on the main participation indicators in play, active recreation, and sport in 2021 for New Zealanders aged 5-plus, focusing on changes between pre-pandemic participation levels in 2019 and 2021 levels. It highlights changes in ways of participating and types of sports and activities participated in, as well as changes in barriers to participating and in selected attitudes.
Methodology
The report primarily uses data collected through the Active NZ survey 2 between 5 January 2021 and 4 January 2022 from 4824 children and young people and 23 239 adults.
It also uses data collected through the Active NZ survey between 5 January 2017 and 4 January 2020 from 74 160 adults aged 18-plus and 16 398 children and young people between ages 5 and 17, to identify any changes in participation over time.
Changes in participation between 2019 and 2021 among children, young people and adults are highlighted, as are changes within the demographic subgroups of gender, age, ethnicity, and deprivation. Analysis of change within the disabled and non-disabled populations is not possible, because the definition used to identify these groups changed during 2019.
Results have been drawn from two separate surveys and data sets:one for children and young people between ages 5 and 17 and one for adults aged 18-plus. Commentary about differences between children, young people and adults is based on observations rather than statistical testing between the two data sets.
Within the two data sets, reported differences between the total result and subgroups are statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level, unless noted. Significance testing means we can be highly confident that any differences reported are not random variations due to carrying out a survey among a sample of the population rather than a population census.
Knowing a difference is statistically significant does not mean the difference is important. Only meaningful differences have been commented on in this report.
Data tables accompanying the report contain all base sizes and highlight all statistically significant differences at the 95 percent confidence level. Please note, in some cases, a significant difference is reported between two numbers that appear to be the same and/or no significant difference is reported when it may appear there should be one. This is due to rounding and variation in sample sizes.
Participation during 2021 was affected by restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alert levels fluctuated throughout the year and regional variations in alert levels also occurred. Organised participation was disrupted, with many competitions and tournaments unable to take place. The results from the 2021 Active NZ survey must be interpreted in this context. While possible trends have been identified from the pattern of responses emerging between 2017 and 2021, these must also be considered in the context of the 2021 participation environment. Results from the Active NZ survey in future years will help distinguish longer term trends from changes due to COVID-19 disruptions. Please visit the New Zealand Government website for the timeline of COVID-19 key events.
Key Results
Young people
Patterns of participation among young people in 2021 were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. After being stable across 2017, 2018 and 2019, changes in key indicators were evident between 2019 and 2021.
- Weekly participation decreased between 2019 and 2021, after a period of stability.
- The average number of sports and activities participated in was lower in 2021 than in previous years.
- Conversely, average time spent participating increased between 2019 and 2021. However, this was not consistent, with average time spent increasing among some demographic subgroups and decreasing in others.
- The proportion of young people meeting the physical activity guidelines increased among some demographic subgroups and decreased, among others.
- Organised participation decreased between 2019 and 2021. This decrease was evident for all demographic subgroups.
- The decrease in organised participation was most evident for competitions or tournaments but also occurred in practice and training, with a coach, and in participation in physical education (PE).
- Weekly informal participation remained comparable with 2019 levels across all demographic subgroups.
- Specific sport and activities more prominent in 2021 than 2019 were walking for fitness, tramping and bush walks, skateboarding and volleyball.
- The decrease in organised participation has negatively affected male participation more than female, while the increase in time spent in informal participation has positively affected female participation more than male.
- Inequity for Māori and Pacific has increased, particularly among males, primarily because of decreased organised participation.
- Inequity among those living in high deprivation areas has also increased.
- Decreases in organised participation, particularly in competitions or tournaments were most evident among young people living in Auckland, while participation levels among young people in the South Island remained unchanged.
- Barriers to participation increased in 2021, with the most notable changes being more young people struggling for motivation and expressing a lack of confidence.
- Additional insights suggest a changing relationship with organised participation among young people, as well as a potential decrease in confidence to participate.
Adults
Adult participation indicators increased slightly from 2019 to 2021. Increases were seen in some population subgroups and not others.
- Weekly participation did not change significantly among adults overall, or between adults within any subgroup, between 2019 and 2021.
- The proportion of adults meeting the physical activity guidelines increased in 2021. This increase was seen in some demographic subgroups but not others.
- The average number of hours spent participating, and the average number of sports and activities, also increased in 2021. Again, changes were seen in some demographic subgroups and not others.
- The proportion of adults participating in competitive sports and activities decreased.
- The proportion of adults participating only in non-competitive sports and activities increased.
- Pacific was the only ethnicity to show no improvement in any of the four key participation indicators.
- Males and adults between ages 50 and 74 were the groups most likely to show increased time spent being active in 2021, compared with 2019.
- The activities with increased participation in 2021 were predominantly non-competitive activities, such as walking, individual workouts, Pilates and yoga.
- Barriers to participation increased in 2021, with more adults feeling too tired, struggling for motivation, falling out of the habit, or feeling too unfit to increase their participation.
- Additional insights suggest that changes in the participation environment due to the pandemic may be encouraging a move to more individualised, flexible activities and to an increase in the use of technology when physically active.
- An indication can also be seen of a growing awareness in the value of being active in enhancing wellbeing.