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This FACT indicates the participation rates in organised sports (including dancing) for people aged 5 to 14 years old. Participating in organised physical activities is an important element of a child’s social development. In recent years, increasing awareness of the incidence of childhood obesity has highlighted the desirability, on health grounds, for children to participate in regular physical activity. Participation in organised sport and/or dancing, as a subset of broader physical activity, is also important for the development of motor coordination skills, teamwork and physical fitness.
Data presented is from the 2012 survey of Children’s Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities conducted throughout Australia as part of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Monthly Population Survey. The survey collected information on participation of children aged 5 to 14 years in selected organised sports outside of school hours during the 12 months prior to interviews, and on participation in selected leisure activities outside of school hours during the most recent two school weeks prior to interviews.
The state with the highest rates of participation was the Australian Capital Territory with 76.4 percent, the state with the lowest was the Northern Territory with 61.5 percent.