Sports Index

Participation Trends 2015

Prepared by:
Market Insights & Consumer Analytics

Released on:
June 2016
Quick Facts about Sports Index

Respondent Profile At least 13 years old

Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents
Not working or related to anyone working in Sport Singapore

Interview and Sampling Computer-assisted personal interview of one household

Methodology member (selected using the Kish Grid sampling methodology)
from each household.

List of randomly sampled households for each month of

fieldwork were provided by the Department of Statistics (DOS)

N = 7602

Fieldwork Period 8 January 2015 28 Dec 2015

Population Base June 2014 Population Figures from DOS were used to determine
and Weighted Variables weights for Age Group, Gender, and Race.

Total 13+ year old population: 3,351,102

Data Collection Agency Asia Insight (asiainsight.com)
and Analysis Tool Analysis was done using the Qualtrics Survey Software
Questionnaire Design, Pamela_Marique@sport.gov.sg
Analysis and Reporting Market Insights and Consumer Analytics (Sport Singapore)
Defining Participation

Past Year (PY) Participants / Participated / Not participated in any sports or

Non-participants recreational physical activity in the past year

Past 4 Weeks (P4W) Participated / Not participated in any sports or

Participants / Non-participants recreational physical activity in the past 4 weeks

(P4W Non-participants have participated in past year but

not in past 4 weeks)

Irregular Participants Participated 1-3x in the past 4 weeks

Regular Participants Participated 1-2x a week in the past 4 weeks

Frequent Participants Participated at least 3x a week in the past 4 weeks

Regular+ Participants Regular + Frequent Participants (ie at least 1x a week)

Participated in
past 4 weeks

Past Year Not participated in

Participants past 4 weeks but
participated in the
All Respondents past year

Past Year
Non-Participants
Respondent Breakdown by Participation Level
Participated in past 4
weeks

62%
Past Year
Participants
Not participated in past 4
All Respondents 71% weeks but participated in
(13+ Years Old Singapore the past year
Residents)
9%
3,351,102 Past Year
Non-Participants

29%
Figures are in % based on all respondents (7,602)

Regular+ participants account for more

Breakdown of Past 4 Weeks Participants than half of the 13+ year old residents

Regular+
Irregular Regular Frequent
15
13
11
9

4 3 3 2
1 1

Once in P4W 2x in P4W 3x in P4W Once/Wk 2x/Wk 3x/Wk 4x/Wk 5x/Wk 6x/Wk Everyday

54%
Figures are in % based on all respondents (7,602)
Regular+ Participation Rate (1) Highest regular+ participation during the months of
March and April, among males, residents of North
region, and of the Indian race.

Bi-monthly By Gender

57

54 54 54
53
57 51
52

Jan/Feb Mar/Apr May/Jun Jul/Aug Sep/Oct Nov/Dec

n=798 n=1,130 n=1,135 n=1,506 n=1,533 n=1,499 n=3,715 n=3,887

By Region
Chinese Malay
61 54
n=5,723
48n=975
n=1,120
By Race
53
49 n=2,082
58
60 59
n=1,501 n=1,738 Indian Others
n=666 n=237

51
n=1,157

Figures are in % based on all respondents per subgroup

Regular+ Participation Rate (2) Participation improves with better economic status,
household income, and dwelling type.

By Economic Activity
PMET: Professional,
68 Managerial, Executive
Agricultural and Fishery and Technical Jobs
Workers, Craftsmen and Clerical Support
57 Related Trade Workers, Workers, Service 56
51 Plant and Machine and Sales Workers
Operators and Assemblers,
46
43 Cleaners and Laborers

37

Student Homemaker Retired Unemployed Blue Collar Other White Collar PMET
n=1,053 n=1,303 n=831 n=273 n=381 n=929 n=2,062

By Household Income By Dwelling Type

58 60 59 68
55
60 61
47 54
43
44

Landed Property
HDB 1-3 Room
Less than 1500

10000 or more

Condominium
HDB 5 Room +
Exec + HUDC

or Apartment
HDB 4 Room
3000 - 4999

5000 - 6999

7000 - 9999
1500 - 2999

n=598 n=795 n=1,115 n=1,062 n=692 n=649 n=1,995 n=3,044 n=2,029 n=417 n=100
Note: About 35% of all respondents either refused to respond to this question or were not sure of
their household income.
Participation Level Males are generally more active than females even across life stages,
except during middle-age when the gap narrows, most likely because
of greater responsibilities at home and at work.

Teens Young Adults Middle-aged Adults Seniors

Regular+ 77 58 51 59
6
8 21 20 23
31 9 32 35
44
57
11

11 28 9
37 25
46 7 15

Regular+ 67 47 49 52
12 18
24 30 25
10 36 38
51 40
12
29
12 23
9
43 11 6 14 25
Top Activities in terms of Reach, Retention, and Regular+ Participation
Activity 1-20 A B C Activity 21-40 A B C
Rank

Rank
* *
1 Walking mainly for health or fitness 20.8 16.9 15.0 21 Billiards / Pool / Snooker 1.5 0.5 0.2

2 Outdoor Jogging / Running 23.1 16.6 14.1 22 Tennis / Mini Tennis 1.2 0.5 0.3

3 Swimming 15.1 7.9 5.2 23 Floorball 1.3 0.4 0.4

4 Other workout or exercises with gym equipment 6.6 5.2 4.8 24 Rope Skipping 1.0 0.4 0.4

5 Badminton 11.5 5.1 3.6 25 Futsal 0.8 0.4 0.2

6 Bicycle Touring 9.2 4.9 3.8 26 Netball 1.2 0.4 0.4

7 Football / Soccer 6.6 3.6 2.9 27 Gymnastics 0.6 0.4 0.4

8 Basketball 5.8 3.0 2.3 28 Exercise Bike / Stationary Bike 1.0 0.4 0.3

9 Yoga 3.0 2.0 1.7 29 Flying Disc / Frisbee 0.9 0.3 0.3

10 Treadmill 2.9 1.9 1.7 30 Road Racing (Cycling) 0.5 0.3 0.2

11 Calisthenics / Circuit Training / Stretching 2.5 1.8 1.7 31 Baseball / Softball 1.0 0.3 0.2

12 Dance Sports 2.0 1.3 1.1 32 Taekwondo 0.7 0.3 0.2

13 Bowling 5.0 1.2 0.5 33 Climbing /Mountaineering / Bouldering 1.0 0.3 0.1

14 Weightlifting / Weigh Training / Body Building 1.2 0.9 0.8 34 Skateboarding / Skating / Skatescooting 0.9 0.3 0.2
15 Stair Climbing 1.5 0.7 0.6 35 Canoeing / Kayaking 1.1 0.2 0.1

16 Qigong 0.8 0.7 0.6 36 Mountain Biking 0.5 0.2 0.2

17 Golf 1.1 0.6 0.3 37 Chess / Checkers / Xian Qi 0.8 0.2 0.2

18 Tai Chi 0.7 0.6 0.5 38 Track and Field Athletics 0.6 0.2 0.2

19 Table Tennis 1.8 0.5 0.3 39 Ice Skating 1.0 0.2 0.1

20 Volleyball 1.6 0.5 0.4 40 Sepak Takraw 0.4 0.2 0.2

* Sorted by Column B (Past 4 Weeks Participation)

Base All respondents (7,602)

A % of all respondents who participated in the activity at least once in the past year (REACH)

B % of all respondents who participated in the activity (not for the first time) in the past 4 weeks (RETENTION)

C % of all respondents who participated in the activity at least once a week in the past 4 weeks (REGULAR PARTICIPATION)
Top 10 Activities in Past 4 Weeks
Teens Young Adults Middle-aged Adults Seniors

Basketball 27 Jogging / Running* 32 Jogging / Running* 29 Walking for health 53

Football / Soccer 25 Swimming 13 Walking for health 22 Jogging / Running* 14
Jogging / Running* 17 Football / Soccer 13 Swimming 14 Bicycle Touring 8
Badminton 15 Badminton 8 Bicycle Touring 12 Other workout** 6
Swimming 11 Other workout** 8 Badminton 8 Calisthenics 4
Bicycle Touring 7 Basketball 7 Other workout** 6 Treadmill 3
Bowling 4 Bicycle Touring 7 Football / Soccer 3 Swimming 2
Other workout** 4 Walking for health 6 Treadmill 3 Golf 2
Futsal 3 Weightlifting 3 Calisthenics 2 Tai Chi 2
Walking for health 3 Bowling 3 Golf 2 Qigong 2

Jogging / Running* 29 Jogging / Running* 28 Walking for health 38 Walking for health 51

Badminton 19 Swimming 18 Jogging / Running* 18 Other workout** 10

Swimming 13 Walking for health 17 Swimming 8 Calisthenics 8

Basketball 8 Other workout** 8 Other workout** 7 Jogging / Running* 6

Walking for health 7 Yoga 8 Bicycle Touring 6 Qigong 5

Netball 7 Badminton 7 Yoga 5 Dance Sports 3

Volleyball 7 Bicycle Touring 7 Calisthenics 4 Tai Chi 3

Other workout** 7 Dance Sports 3 Badminton 4 Treadmill 2

Football / Soccer 6 Treadmill 3 Treadmill 3 Swimming 2

Dance Sports 6 Basketball 2 Dance Sports 3 Exercise Bike 1

* Outdoor and not on Treadmill

** Other workout or exercises with equipment in Gym / Home Gym / Indoor or Outdoor Fitness Corner
Participation Frequency Activities usually done for health and are non-competitive are done
(Among Top 20 Activities in Past 4 Weeks) more frequently as compared to more competitive activities.

Less than once a week 1-2x/Week 3-4x/Week 5x or more/Week

Individual, Simple, For health

Weightlifting 2 50 33 15 n=66

Calisthenics 4 30 20 46 138

Qigong 5 23 11 61 52

Stair Climbing 6 38 7 49 52

Other workout 8 44 25 24 393

Treadmill 10 48 16 27 142

Dance Sports 11 62 18 9 97

Walking 11 31 18 40 1,287

Tai Chi 12 30 12 45 43
Team, With Rules, For recreation/competition

Outdoor Jogging 15 54 20 11 1,258

Yoga 18 51 13 18 155

Football / Soccer 20 63 10 7 274

Bicycle Touring 22 42 16 19 371

Basketball 24 56 13 6 230

Volleyball 28 45 26 39

Badminton 29 64 6 1 388

Swimming 34 59 5 2 600

Table Tennis 45 46 9 41

Golf 49 43 8 44

Bowling 62 35 12 91

Figures are in % based on past 4 weeks participants for each activity

Duration per Session However, non-competitive activities are done in shorter duration
(Among Top 20 Activities in Past 4 Weeks) per session while activities with a competitive element last longer.

Less than 30 minutes 30-59 mins 60-89 mins 90+ mins

Individual, Simple, For health

Stair Climbing 69 19 12 0 n=52

Calisthenics 47 27 22 4 138

Treadmill 21 46 26 6 142

Other workout 15 33 30 21 393

Walking 13 52 28 7 1,287

Outdoor Jogging 10 51 31 7 1,258

Yoga 9 23 52 16 155

Weightlifting 8 37 16 39 66

Bicycle Touring 7 28 30 35 371

Team, With Rules, For recreation/competition

Volleyball 5 6 30 58 39

Table Tennis 4 24 35 37 41

Tai Chi 3 25 46 26 43

Qigong 2 32 46 19 52

Swimming 2 27 44 27 600

Badminton 2 14 33 52 388

Bowling 1 8 30 60 91

Basketball 0 13 20 67 230

Football / Soccer 0 6 20 74 274

Dance Sports 0 9 47 44 97

Golf 0 7 93 44

Figures are in % based on past 4 weeks participants for each activity

Participation Venue and Companion Participants opt for free facilities but among the
paid facilities, ActiveSG is most preferred.

Public Facilities (e.g. park or beaches) About half of participants do activities by

themselves. Three out of 10 do so with a
53
friend/neighbor, majority of which are of a
Free Facilities 88%

different race.
Residential Facilities (e.g. home gym or condo pool)
12 Participated alone
School Facilities (offered to students or faculty) 49
10
Friend / Neighbor
Community Centers 29
7
Spouse / Partner
Work or Company Facilities (including army camp) 16
2
Child
11
ActiveSG / Sport Singapore Facilities / Sports Centres
9 Schoolmate
Is friend or neighbor
Paid Facilities 23%

8
of a different race?
Other Private Club Facilities (e.g. Fitness First)
6 Sibling

NS Facilities (e.g. SAFRA, Home Team NS) 4

34 No
2 Colleague

National Stadium Club / Sports Hub at Kallang 4

Yes 65
1
Parent
Dual-use Scheme School Facilities 2
1
Figures are in % based on past 4 weeks participants (4,676)
Activities Most Enjoyed and Most Participated In Past Year

Most Enjoyed Most Participated In

% Share

% Share

Index*
Rank

% of Past Year Participants who Enjoyed the Activity the % of Past Year Participants who Participated in the
Most (across other activities participated in past year) Activity the Most (across other activities in past year)

1 Walking mainly for health or fitness 21.9 Walking for health or fitness 23.2 1.3

2 Outdoor Jogging / Running 16.8 Outdoor Jogging / Running 20.4 3.6

3 Swimming 9.0 Swimming 8.0 -1.0
Shares add up to 100% across sports

4 Badminton 6.3 Other workout or exercises with gym equipment 6.4 0.3

5 Other workout or exercises with gym equipment 6.1 Badminton 5.7 -0.6

6 Bicycle Touring 5.6 Bicycle Touring 5.1 -0.5

7 Football / Soccer 5.0 Football / Soccer 4.5 -0.5

8 Basketball 3.6 Basketball 3.2 -0.4

9 Yoga 2.3 Calisthenics / Circuit Training / Stretching 2.2 0.0

10 Calisthenics / Circuit Training / Stretching 2.2 Treadmill 2.2 0.2

11 Dance Sports 2.0 Yoga 2.2 -0.1

12 Treadmill 2.0 Dance Sports 1.8 -0.2

13 Bowling 1.3 Bowling 1.0 -0.3

14 Qigong 0.8 Qigong 0.8 0.0

15 Golf 0.8 Golf 0.8 0.0

16 Netball 0.7 Weightlifting / Weight Training / Body Building 0.7 0.3

17 Tai Chi 0.6 Tai Chi 0.7 0.1

18 Tennis / Mini Tennis 0.5 Stair Climbing 0.6 0.2

19 Floorball 0.5 Netball 0.6 -0.1

20 Volleyball 0.5 Tennis / Mini-Tennis 0.5 0.0

* Index is the difference between the enjoyment share and the participation share. >0 means that the activity (Most Participated In column) gets participants who may
not necessarily enjoy it but potentially because of convenience or other factors, they are able to do more of this activity rather than their most enjoyed activity.
NOTE: The ranking of activities in terms of enjoyment and participation levels vary greatly across the age groups. For instance Basketball gets a 13% enjoyment share
among the Teens but because the segment contributes the least to the population size, Basketball gets a lower ranking at the overall level. As such it is important to
look at preferences by life stage or age group (or other relevant segments) and be more targeted in sport-promoting efforts.
Figures are in % based on past year participants (5,376)
What Makes an Activity Enjoyable Physical benefits (including physical development,
image enhancement, and relaxation) is a major
driver to participation followed by social benefits and
whether the activity is convenient both in set-up and
ease of doing.

Maintains health, fitness, or physical well-being /

42
Physical Good way to sweat it out / Exercises the body
Supports physical development (e.g. posture, strength, or stamina) or motor skills (e.g. flexibility, balance) 14
Improves appearance / Helps in losing or managing weight / Builds or shapes muscles 12
Relaxing, refreshing, or cooling to the mind and body 12
Promotes bonding / A social platform (e.g. make new friends) 11
Social
It is a team or group sport / Fun to do in a group / Friends or family like to do it / Promotes team spirit 10
Convenient or conducive facilities 11
Convenience Easy / Safe / Comfortable to do (less sweat, less strenuous, less effort) 10
Convenient to organize or set up in terms of timing and resources (e.g. no need for kaki / gear / booking fee) 9
Passionate about the sport / Fan of the sport 6
Challenging / Fast-paced / Requires higher level of skills or energy / Requires variety of movements 6
Good for mental development 6
General liking of the activity 5
A means to see places, do, or enjoy other things (e.g. nature or music) simultaneously 4
It is an activity learned in school / Childhood sport / First sport learned 2
Provides sense of freedom, control, achievement / Promotes emotional release 2
Competitive / Exciting to win a game 1
Adventurous, unique, exciting experience 1

Figures are in % based on past year participants (5,376)

Motivators that Matter Most While physical health remains most important driver,
mental, and emotional well-being (e.g. stress-free,
healthy self image) also play crucial roles.

Mean Score
0-2 points 3-4 points 5 (midpoint) 6-7 points 8-10 points

For physical health 21 4 27 67 8.0

To de-stress 6 3 9 31 51 7.2

For mental health 6 4 9 30 51 7.2

To look or feel good 7 5 11 31 47 7.0

For the love of the sport 9 5 11 29 46 6.8

To develop skills that help you perform 5.2

better at school, work, or life in general
24 10 18 22 26

Flexible work schedule 27 13 12 19 29 5.1

To meet other people 30 10 15 21 25 4.8

New facilities which previously were not

41 14 19 15 12 3.6
available

Recover from injury or illness 62 9 8 10 12 2.7

To train for an event or competition 70 8 6 8 8 2.2

Note: The reasons above were shown to respondents for them to rate from 1-10 in terms of importance, different from what makes an activity
enjoyable which are provided spontaneously by the respondents.
Figures are in % based on past year participants (5,376)
Reasons for Not Participating in Past Year
Lack of time, particularly because of work, affects half of the past year non-participants. Noteworthy,
also about half (48%) are not interested in sports. This translates to 14% of the 13+ year old population
most difficult to convert.
To a large extent To some extent Not at all

Lack of time: Because of work 43 8 49

Not interested in sports 34 14 52

Lack of time: Need to take care of elderly

or children
17 6 77

Lack of time: Because of other non-sports

recreational activities
9 10 81

Long-term personal health condition or

disability
10 5 84

Lack of sport partner / companion 3 8 90

Short-term personal injury or illness 4 5 91

Lack of facilities nearby 2 7 91

Lack of money for sports activities 1 4 95

All Sedentary: Those who did not do sports in P. 1 year

Note: The reasons above were shown to respondents for them to rate in terms of extent (To a large
U= 972,000 extent, To some extent, Not at all)
Figures are in % based on past year non-participants (2,226)
Aspirational Activities* and Ways of Engaging in These
Yoga is most aspirational activity followed by Badminton among past year participants and Jogging /
Running among non-participants.

Among Past Year Participants % Among Past Year Non-participants %

Yoga 11 Yoga 12

Badminton 4 Outdoor Jogging / Running 5

Swimming 3 Walking mainly for health 4

Archery 2 Swimming 4

Football / Soccer 2 Badminton 3

Basketball 2 Football / Soccer 3

Bicycle Touring 2 Basketball 1

Bowling 1 Bicycle Touring 1

Tennis / Mini Tennis 1 Bowling 1

Ice Skating 1 Ice Skating 1

Figures are in % based on past year participants (5,376) and past year non-participants (2.226)

*Among Past Year Non-participants: Activities they are interested in but not able to do or participate in as much as
they like. Among Past Year Participants: Same but excluding their activity most participated in the past year
Perceptions toward Sports and Sense of National Pride
Residents are generally positive toward sports overall and have good sense of national pride that is
hinged on Singapores sports offerings, international sports achievements, and Team Singapore athletes

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

Sports not only improve physical health but

also strengthen mental health (e.g. resilience, 1 9 75 14
Perception toward Sports

strive for excellence, never give up attitude)

Watching or participating in sports events can

promote community bonding 3 18 74 5

Sports can bring people together regardless of

different background 2 13 77 8

Sports provide me with opportunities for

character and leadership development 4 25 65 5

I am proud of the opportunities for sports

Sense of National Pride

participation and spectatorship that 4 19 72 5

Singapore has to offer

I am proud of Singapore's international sports

achievements 4 19 70 6

Supporting Team Singapore athletes gives me

a sense of national pride as a Singaporean 4 23 68 6

Figures are in % based on all respondents (7,602)

Single vs. Multiple Activities in Past 4 Weeks
Among past 4 weeks participants, seven out of ten participated in only one type of physical activity,
usually Physical Exercise (69% of single activity participants).

Outdoor Jogging/Running Walking for health

45 29
Water Sports Outdoor Jogging/Running
31 20
Cardio Exercise/Workout Multiple Cardio Exercise/Workout
27 27 16
Ball Sports Ball Sports
26 8 Physical Exercise (69)
Walking for health Single Water Sports Walking for health
Outdoor Jogging/Running
25 73 7 Cardio Exercise/Workout
Racket Sports Mind-body Exercises
Racket Sports
21 6 Individual Sports (14)
Figures are in % based on past 4
weeks participants (4,676) Wheel Sports
Wheel Sports Wheel Sports Water Sports (mainly Swimming)
20 5 Target Sports
Target Sports Mind-body Exercises Team Sports (15)
11 4 Ball Sports
Racket Sports
Mind-body Exercises Target Sports Combat Sports
10 2
Combat Sports Combat Sports
4 1
Rest are below 2% Rest are below 1%
Figures are in % based on multiple Figures are in % based on single
activities participants (1,243) activity participants (3,431)
Profile of Participation Frequency Segments
There is a higher proportion of homemakers and retirees among the Frequent participants, suggesting that this segment
indeed has more free time hence are able to participate more often than the Irregular or Regular participants

Irregular (n=573) Regular (n=2,122) Frequent (n=1,981)

Full-time employee Full-time employee Full-time employee
55 54 34
Student Student Student
22 21 13
Homemaker Homemaker Homemaker
Occupation

13 11 22
Freelance or Part-time Freelance or Part-time Freelance or Part-time
4 5 6
Retired Retired Retired
3 5 19
NS / Armed Forces / Diplomat NS / Armed Forces / Diplomat NS / Armed Forces / Diplomat
2 2 2
Unemployed Unemployed Unemployed
2 2 4

Married with kids Married with kids Married with kids

Marital Status

53 50 60
Single Single Single
41 42 35
Married without kids Married without kids Married without kids
6 8 5

HDB 1-3 Rooms HDB 1-3 Rooms HDB 1-3 Rooms

Dwelling Type

23 18 26
HDB 4-5 Rooms/Exec/HUDC HDB 4-5 Rooms/Exec/HUDC HDB 4-5 Rooms/Exec/HUDC
69 73 67
Condo/Apartment Condo/Apartment Condo/Apartment
6 8 6
Landed Landed Landed
1 2 1
Comparison of Preferred Activities and Motivators
The participation frequency segments appear to be defined by the activities they enjoy most and what motivates
them. The Irregular and Regular prefer team or facility-dependent activities while the Frequent opt for convenience.
Irregular (n=573) Regular (n=2,122) Frequent (n=1,981)

Swimming 19 Jogging/Running* 19 Walking for health 33

Walking for health 15 Walking for health 16 Jogging / Running* 16

Other workout** 8
Most Enjoyable Sports

Jogging/Running* 13 Swimming 10

Badminton 10 Badminton 8 Bicycle Touring 6

Bicycle Touring 5 Football / Soccer 7 Calisthenics 4

Football / Soccer 5 Other workout 6 Swimming 4

Basketball 5 Bicycle Touring 5 Badminton 3

Bowling 3 Basketball 4 Basketball 3

Other workout** 3 Yoga 3 Football / Soccer 3

Golf 2 Dance Sports 2 Treadmill 3

Maintains health 39 Maintains health 43 Maintains health 47

Promotes bonding 16 For physical development 16 For physical development 15

What Makes Sports Enjoyable

For physical development 15 Promotes bonding 13 Convenient facilities 13

Improves appearance 13 Improves appearance 12 Improves appearance 12

Convenient facilities 13 Fun to do in a group 12 Easy, safe, comfortable to do 12

Convenient to organize 13 Relaxing to the mind and body 11 Relaxing to mind and body 11

Relaxing to mind and body 13 Convenient facilities 9 Convenient to organize 9

Fun to do in a group 11 Easy, safe, comfortable to do 8 Promotes bonding 9

Easy, safe, comfortable to do 10 Passionate about the sport 7 Fun to do in a group 7

Good for mental development 9 Challenging / Requires skills 7 Good for mental development 9

Challenging / Requires skills 9 General liking of the activity 5 General liking of the activity 5

Passionate about the sport 6 Good for mental development 5 Challenging / Requires skills 5

* Outdoor and not on Treadmill

** Other workout or exercises with equipment in Gym / Home Gym / Indoor or Outdoor Fitness Corner
Residents Profiling by Life Stage Younger generation do more Team Sports, especially Ball Sports, while
the older prefer Physical Exercise,mainly Walking for health.

Teens (13-19 Y.O.) Young Adults (20-39 Y.O.) M.A. Adults (40-59 Y.O.) Seniors (60+)

335,655 1,123,893 1,228,451 663,103

Size

(10% contribution to 13+ (34% contribution to 13+ y.o. (37% contribution to 13+ y.o. (20% contribution 13+ y.o.
y.o. population) population) population) population)
Less than 3,000 9 Less than 3,000 20 Less than 3,000 34
Household
Income

3,000 6,999 33 3,000 6,999 35 3,000 6,999 16

Not Applicable (More than half were
unable to provide a response) 7,000+ 28 7,000+ 18 7,000+ 6
Refused/Dont Know 29 Refused/Dont Know 28 Refused/Dont Know 44

Not participated in Participated in past year Participated in past 4 weeks

Sports Participation Rate

past year but not in past 4 weeks

Base: All Respondents

9
9 19 25 24
27
34 41 37
11 52 50
72 56
12
33 26 5
9
45 11 7 14 2

Ball Sports 46 Jogging/Running* 36 Walking for health 35 Walking for health 57

Jogging/Running* 26 Water Sports 19 Jogging/Running* 28 Cardio Exercise/Workout 22
Base: Past 4 Weeks Participants
Top Sports Categories

Racket Sports 21 Cardio Exercise/Workout 19 Cardio Exercise/Workout 19 Jogging/Running* 11

Water Sports 15 Ball Sports 17 Water Sports 13 Mind-body Exercises 7
Cardio Exercise/Workout 15 Walking for health 13 Wheel Sports 11 Wheel Sports 5
Target Sports 10 Racket Sports 11 Racket Sports 8 Water Sports 2
Wheel Sports 7 Wheel Sports 10 Mind-body Exercises 6 Target Sports 2
Walking for health 6 Target Sports 6 Ball Sports 4 Racket Sports 2
Combat Sports 4 Mind-body Exercises 6 Target Sports 2 Combat Sports 1
Winter Sports 2 Combat Sports 2 Combat Sports 1 Ball Sports 0.5

* Outdoor and not on Treadmill; includes Athletics and Triathlon, Decathlon, etc.
Preferred Activities and Motivators Motivations evolve through life stages. The young look forward
to reaping social benefits while the old the physical benefits.

Teens (13-19 Y.O.) Young Adults (20-39 Y.O.) M.A. Adults (40-59 Y.O.) Seniors (60+)

Basketball 13 Jogging/Running* 21 Walking for health 28 Walking for health 52

Football / Soccer 12 Swimming 13 Jogging/Running* 19 Jogging/Running* 8
Most Enjoyable Sports

Badminton 12 Walking for health 9 Swimming 9 Other workout** 8

Jogging/Running* 10 Badminton 8 Bicycle Touring 8 Calisthenics 6
Swimming 7 Football/Soccer 7 Other workout** 6 Bicycle Touring 3
Bicycle Touring 4 Other workout** 7 Badminton 5 Qigong 3
Other workout** 4 Basketball 5 Calisthenics 3 Swimming 3
Netball 3 Bicycle Touring 5 Treadmill 3 Treadmill 2
Dance Sports 3 Yoga 4 Football/Soccer 2 Dance Sports 2
Floorball 3 Dance Sports 2 Yoga 2 Tai Chi 2

Maintains health 33 Maintains health 37 Maintains health 46 Maintains health 52

Fun to do in group 20 For physical development 14 For physical development 13 For physical development 17
What Makes Sports Enjoyable

Promotes bonding 18 Promotes bonding 14 Relaxing to mind & body 12 Convenient facilities 13
For physical development 17 Fun to do in a group 13 Convenient facilities 11 Relaxing to mind & body 13
Challenging/Requires skills 15 Relaxing to mind & body 12 Easy, safe, comfortable 11 Easy, safe, comfortable 13
Improves appearance 14 Improves appearance 11 Improves appearance 11 Improves appearance 11

Passionate about sport 12 Convenient facilities 10 Promotes bonding 9 Convenient to organize 11

Easy, safe, comfortable 8 Convenient to organize 9 Convenient to organize 9 For mental development 7

General liking of activity 8 Easy, safe, comfortable 8 Fun to do in a group 7 Promotes bonding 6

Convenient to organize 8 Passionate about sport 8 For mental development 5 Fun to do in a group 3

Convenient facilities 7 Challenging/Requires skills 8 Enjoy other things 5 Enjoy other things 3

Relaxing to mind & body 6 General liking of the activity 6 General liking of activity 5 General liking of activity 3

* Outdoor and not on Treadmill

** Other workout or exercises with equipment in Gym / Home Gym / Indoor or Outdoor Fitness Corner
Barriers to Participation in Past Year
Across life stages, non-participation is either due to lack of time or the lack of interest in sports, or both. In addition, some Teens
are busy with other non-sport activities while the Seniors are hindered by a long-term physical disability. Among young and
middle-aged adults, it is the added responsibility at home (on top of work).

Teens (13-19 Y.O.) Young Adults (20-39 Y.O.) M.A. Adults (40-59 Y.O.) Seniors (60+)
% of Non-participants

9
in Past Year

27 9 19 25 24 37
34 41
11
33 12 26 5
11 9 14 2
45 7

Lack of time: Because of work Lack of time: Because of work Lack of time: Because of work Lack of time: Because of work

32 61 59 29
Barriers to Participation in Past Year*

Not interested in sports Not interested in sports Not interested in sports Not interested in sports
55 47 47 49
Lack of time: Need to care for family Lack of time: Need to care for family Lack of time: Need to care for family Lack of time: Need to care for family
7 29 23 18
Lack of time: Due to other activities** Lack of time: Due to other activities** Lack of time: Due to other activities**
Lack of time: Due to other activities**
32 19 20 15
Long-term physical disability Long-term physical disability Long-term physical disability Long-term physical disability
6 5 13 33
Lack of sport partner/companion Lack of sport partner/companion Lack of sport partner/companion Lack of sport partner/companion
12 10 11 10
Short-term personal injury or illness Short-term personal injury or illness Short-term personal injury or illness Short-term personal injury or illness
6 4 9 14
Lack of facilities nearby Lack of facilities nearby Lack of facilities nearby Lack of facilities nearby
10 7 10 9
Lack of money for sports activities Lack of money for sports activities Lack of money for sports activities Lack of money for sports activities
7 4 5 6

* Reasons for not participating in past year (To a large extent or to some extent) Note: There is a further need for research, particularly qualitative, to better
**Lack of time: Because of other non-sports recreational activities understand and address the root cause for the lack of interest in sports plus
determine the best course of action or programs that will be relevant to
those who lack the time for sports.
Volunteerism
Four out of 100 residents have volunteered (not expecting any financial payment) in sport-related
activities in the past year.

Coached an individual or team(s) in a sport or recreational physical activity 0.5

Refereed, umpired, or officiated at a sports match or competition 0.4

Performed an administrative or organizational role for a sports club, organization, or event (e.g.
1.1
chair, secretary, fixture secretary, committee member, club captain, event organizer, etc.)

Raised funds for a sports club or sports organization / Made a financial donation or contribution to a
0.4
sports-related charitable cause

Provided transport which helped children or adults take part in sport (other than family members) 0.2

Provided any practical help for a sport or recreation physical activity, such as stewarding; helping
with refreshments; helping with sports kit or equipment, or first aid, etc. without being a member of 1.5
the event organizer

I have not participated in any volunteer activities / I have not volunteered in any sporting activity 96.3

Figures are in % based on all participants (7,602)

Spectatorship* Half of residents have not watched a sports event in the past year. Among those who
did, majority have done so on TV (and/or online), of which Football and Swimming are
the most watched sports.
SPORTS WATCHED ON
(n=600)
TV/ONLINE
Not watched any sports event in the past year
Football / Soccer 43

55 Swimming 35
Badminton 19

Watched a sports event on TV Table Tennis 15

Basketball 10
41
Tennis / Mini-Tennis 6
Track and Field Athletics 3
Watched a sports event online (e.g. YouTube, website, etc.)
Boxing 3
9 Cricket 3
Volleyball 3
Attended a ticketed sports event held in Singapore SPORTS WATCHED AT
(n=85)
VENUE
small base
4 37
Football / Soccer
Badminton 16
Attended a non-ticketed sports event held in Singapore
Basketball 13

2 Swimming 12

Tennis / Mini-Tennis 9

Attended a sports event outside Singapore Volleyball 6

Netball 5
1 5
Table Tennis
Figures are in % based on all respondents (1,402) Golf 5
*Tracked starting November 2015
Floorball 4
Club Membership and Usage of Facilities
ActiveSG leads in terms of membership and usage in the past year. However, there is much room to grow,
as most residents are not member of any club or organizations with sports facilities/programs. Moreover,
about 4 in 10 have not heard of ActiveSG yet.

Not used any club facilities or

Not a member of any club in the past year participated in club programs

64 73

ActiveSG ActiveSG

16 14 ActiveSG Awareness Level

NTUC (U Club) SAFRA Not heard of it (41)

11 Caveat: For Sports Index, only one respondent 9 Heard of it but know nothing
is randomly selected from a household. So if
club membership/usage typically involves a about it (17)
family unit (e.g. parents with kids), the Sports
SAFRA Index results will reflect lower absolute figures Community Club
(out of the 13+ year old Singapore resident Heard of it and know
11 population) 6 something about it (33)

Community Club NTUC (U Club) Heard of it and know it well (9)

9 3

Civil Service Club Health/Fitness Club

1 1

Health/Fitness Club Country Club

1 1

Figures are in % based on all respondents (7,602)

 Conclusion:
54% of Singaporeans participate in sports regularly ( 1x wk). Not surprising, participation
improves with better economic status, household income, and dwelling type.

Full-time employees represent almost half of the 13+ year old population, out of which majority are
married with kids, the segment with lowest participation rate among the employed (at 49%).
Others
11
Married with
Retired kids
11 29
Full-time
Homemaker Employees
17 47
Others
Student 18
14

The more popular sports tend to be simple activities that participants can benefit for health
reasons. The activities that are participated tend to be similar to the list of activities they enjoy.

However, the types of sporting activities participated differ by the different age segments.

The main factors inhibiting sports participation tend to be the lack of time or interest rather than
accessibility issues.

The other means of sports engagement such as on-site sport spectatorship and volunteerism is not
as high as sports participation.

However, the survey indicates that more than three quarter of Adult Singaporeans agree that
sports is able to strengthen bonding within the community.