5. Enjoyment - What motivates adults to be active?

Across the broad activity groups, 22% of adults (545,000) had a demand for at least one ‘Fitness Activity’, 12% of adults (304,000) had a demand for at least one ‘Sport and Game’ activity, and 6% of adults (142,000) had a demand for at least one ‘Outdoor Pursuit’ activity in 2024-25.

The percentage of adults who wanted to do more ‘Outdoor Pursuits’ is lowest of all broad activity types and remains close to the percentage found in 2022-23 (5% in 2022-23).  The percentage of adults who wanted to do more ‘Fitness activities’ is higher now than it was in 2022-23 (an increase of 6-percentage points).  This equates to 142,000 more adults wanting to do more ‘Fitness activities’ compared to the same period two years ago [1]. In addition, the percentage of adults who wanted to do more ‘Sports and Games’ activities is now higher than the level found in 2022-23 (an increase of 3-percentage points). This equates to 56,000 more adults wanting to do more ‘Sports and Games’ activities compared to the same period two years ago [2]. 

5.2 Demand and Geography

This section explores how demand varies by different geographies in Wales.

Table 5.1: The percentage and number of adults who have a demand for more sport and physical activity, by sport partnership area and population density

The percentage of adults with demand for sport and physical activity in North Wales and Central South was greater than the percentage of adults with demand in Mid Wales, Gwent, and West Wales, with both North Wales and Central South having a percentage of 38%.

The percentage of adults with demand for sport and physical activity in West Wales (28%) was lower than the national average (35%), whereas demand in North Wales, Mid Wales, Central South, and Gwent was closer to the national average.

Compared to 2022-23 findings, demand increased in North Wales, Central South and Gwent. Central South and Gwent had the most substantial increases. Central South increased by a 13-percentage points, which equates to an additional 91,000 adults with demand for sport and physical activity whereas Gwent increased by 12-percentage points, which equate to 50,000 more adults.  North Wales also increased by 8-percentage points, which equates to 34,000 more adults with demand for sport and physical activity. Demand in Mid Wales and West Wales remained close to the levels reported in 2022-23.

Additionally, the percentage of adults who had demand for sport and physical activity in 'Rural' areas (35%) was in line with that of 'Urban' areas (34%). Nevertheless, compared to 2022-23, there was an increase in demand in both ‘Urban’ and ‘Rural’ areas. 

‘Urban’ areas increased by 8-percentage points, which equates to an additional 124,000 adults with demand for sport and physical activity. ‘Rural’ areas also showed some growth, increasing by 6-percentage points, which equates to an additional 31,000 adults expressing demand.

Table 5.2 demonstrates the percentage and number of adults who had a demand for more sport and physical activity by quintiles [3] of Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation(WIMD) [4].

Table 5.2: The percentage and number of adults who have a demand for more sport and physical activity, by Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD):

The percentage of adults with demand for more sport and physical activity was relatively similar across deprivation levels. The biggest difference was that those in Quintile 5 (least deprived) had more demand for more sport and physical activity than those in Quintile 2 [5].

Compared to 2022-23, demand for more sport and physical activity increased in Quintile 1 (most deprived), Quintile 4 and Quintile 5 (least deprived). Quintile 1 (most deprived) has had a 9-percentage point increase, which equates to an additional 40,000 adults with demand for more sport and physical activity. Similarly, Quintile 4 also increased by 6-percentage points, which equates to an additional 14,000 adults with demand for sport and physical activity. Quintile 5 (least deprived) had the largest increase, which was 12-percentage points.  This equates an additional 66,000 adults expressing demand for sport and physical activity in 2024-25.  Demand in Quintile 2 and Quintile 3 remained similar to the levels reported in 2022-23.                                                                                      

5.3 Demand and Population Characteristics

This section explores how demand varies by different population characteristics.

Graph 5.2: The percentage and number of adults who have a demand for more sport and physical activity, by age group.

Demand for more sport and physical activity was lower for those ages 75+, than for other age groups.

More specifically, those aged 35-44, 45-54, and 55-64 were more likely to report demand for more sport and physical activity compared to those aged 65-74 and 75+.

Compared to 2022-23, demand increased significantly across most age groups, except for those aged 16-24 years old and 25-34 years old whose demand levels remained similar. The largest increase in demand was seen among those aged 35-44 years, rising by a 13-percentage point. Similarly, demand also increased among those aged 45-54 years and 55-64 years, demand increased for both age groups by 11-percentage points. There was also an increase in demand among older adults aged 65-74 years (8-percentage points) and 75+ years (6-percentage points)

Notably, while participation rates remained stable across most age groups between 2022-23 and 2024-25, demand increased for all those ages 35 and over, indicating a growing pool of latent demand and a widening gap between participation and demand for this age group when compared to adults under the age of 35.

Table 5.3 illustrates the percentage and number of adults who had demand for more sport and physical activity, by demographic characteristic.

Table 5.3: The percentage and number of adults with a demand to do more sport and physical activity, by population characteristics.

In 2024-25, there was little difference in the percentage of adults with demand for more sport and physical activity between Males (35%) and Females (34%). 

Nevertheless, compared to 2022-23, there was a 7-percentage point increase for Males and an 8-percentage point increase for Females, which represents 60,000 more males and 95,000 more females with demand.

Looking at ethnicity, those who identified as ‘Any other ethnic group’ had a higher percentage of demand (54%) compared to those who identified as ‘White’ (33%), whereas it was 43% for those who identify as ‘White other’.

Results for 2024-25 show a 20-percentage point increase in demand among those who identified as ‘Any other ethnic group’ when compared to 2022-23, when demand was at 34%. Similarly, there was also a 6-percentage point increase among those who identified as ‘White’ when compared to 2022-23. Those who reported their ethnicity as ‘White other’ had no measurable [6] change in demand levels.

In 2024-25, 34% of adults living with a limiting long-term illness reported demand, compared with 35% of adults living without a limiting long-term illness [7].

Demand also increased between 2022-23 and 2024-25 among those who have limiting long-term illness and those who do not.  There was a 7-percentage point increase among those with a limiting long-term illness (28% in 2022-23) and an 8-percentage point increase among those without limiting long-term illness (27% in 2022-23).

Results for 2024-25 show that those living in material deprivation were more likely to report demand for more sport and physical activity compared to those not living in material deprivation, with those living in material deprivation showing a 10-percentage point higher level of demand than those not living in material deprivation.  

In 2024-25, demand rates increased compared to figures reported in 2022-23 for both material deprivation groups. Demand from those living in material deprivation increased by 11-percentage points (from 33% in 2022-23 to 44% in 2024-25). Demand rates also increased but by 8-percentage points amongst those who do not live in material deprivation (from 26% in 2022-23 to 34% in 2024-25).

Furthermore, demand for more sport and physical activity was broadly similar between those who use Welsh Language in everyday life and those who don’t. 

Compared to 2022-23, demand for more sport and physical activity increased among those who do not use Welsh language for everyday life by 8-percentage points (from 26% in 2022-23 to 34% in 2024-25) whereas demand among those who use Welsh language for everyday life remained close to the levels reported in 2022-23 (32% in 2022-23 to 37% in 2024-25).

5.4 Unmet Demand

For the purposes of this report, those with an ’ Unmet Demand ’ refer exclusively to those who have not participated in sport and physical activity in the last 4 weeks but indicated they would like to do more in the future.

In 2024-25, 11% of adults (roughly 1 in 9) said they wanted to participate in at least one type of sport or physical activity but had not participated in the last 4-weeks, representing 273,000 adults with unmet demand.
Compared to 2022-23, unmet demand increased by 4-percentage points (from 7% in 2022-23 to 11% in 2024-25), with 89,000 more adults reporting unmet demand in 2024-25.

In 2024-25, there were 211,000 adults who did not participate in any ' any ’ Fitness Activity but said they would like to. Further,therewere207,000adultswho did not participate in any ‘Sport & Games’ but said they would like to. Finally, 116,000 adults said they did not participate in any ‘Outdoor Pursuits’ but said they would like to.

Overall, this equates to at least 543,000 new opportunities in sport and physical activity amongst adults, which would need to be met for the 273,000 adults with unmet demand.

Table 5.4: The percentage and number of adults who have an unmet demand for activity, by sport partnership areas

The percentage of unmet demand is similar across most sport partnership areas. The biggest disparity was between North Wales Central South where there was a 5-percentage point difference in unmet demand. 

Compared to 2022-23, there have been changes to the percentage of unmet demand in North Wales (6-percentage points), Central South (3-percentage points) and Gwent (6-percentage points).

A similar percentage of adults from 'Rural' areas (12%) and 'Urban' areas (11%) reported unmet demand for sport and physical activity. However, more adults with unmet demand live in 'Urban' areas (178,000 adults) compared to 'Rural' areas (95,000 adults). However, this is partly due to there being more people living in ‘Urban’ Wales in the first instance.

From 2022-23, the percentage of adults with unmet demand increased in both 'Urban' areas from 7% in 2022-23 to 11% in 2024-25, and 'Rural' areas from 7% in 2022-23 to 12% in 2024-25.

5.5 Attitudes to being physically active [8]

Adults who had participated in the last four weeks or had demand to participate more often were asked for their level of agreement with three statements linked to having the opportunity to be physically active, having the confidence to be physically active, and finding physical activity enjoyable.  

The level of agreement across these questions was found to be similar, with most having a positive sentiment towards these statements.  Between 84% and 85% agreed strongly or tended to agree with the statements ‘I have the opportunity to be physically active.’, ‘I have the confidence to be physically active.’ and ‘I find physical activity enjoyable.'(representing between 1.4 to 1.5 million adults in Wales).  

The overall pattern to across each statement is shown in Graph 5.3, Graph 5.4, and Graph 5.5.

Graph 5.3: Agreement with the statement ‘I have the opportunity to be physically Active

Most either strongly agreed that they had the opportunity to be physically active (51%, 879,000 adults) or tended to agree (34%, 579,000 adults).   10% tended to disagree or disagreed strongly (174,000 adults).  5% neither agreed nor disagreed (84,000 adults).

Table 5.5: Agreement with the statement ‘I have the opportunity to be physically active.'

Graph 5.4: Agreement with the statement ‘I have the confidence to be physically active

Most either strongly agreed that they had the confidence to be physically active (51%, 868,000 adults) or tended to agree (34%, 587,000 adults). 10% tended to disagree or disagreed strongly (166,000 adults).  6% neither agreed nor disagreed (44,000 adults).

Table 5.6: Agreement with the statement ‘I have the confidence to be physically active.’

Graph 5.5: Agreement with the statement ‘I find physical activity

Most either strongly agreed that they find physical activity enjoyable (48%, 833,000 adults) or tended to agree (36%, 616,000 adults).   7% tended to disagree or disagreed strongly (127,000 adults).  8% neither agreed nor disagreed (141,000 adults).

Table 5.7: Agreement with the statement ‘I find physical activity enjoyable.'’

It is important to remember that around three in every ten adults were not asked these questions.  As these were those who did not participate or have demand for sport activities there is a high chance that these are the adults with less opportunity, less confidence, and less likely to enjoy being physically active.  However, further research would be required to confirm these assumptions.

Footnotes

1. Exploring this further, it was found that the predominant cause of this percentage point difference is due to an increase in demand for swimming and going to the gym (Section 6.1)
2. Further analysis suggests that this difference is mainly driven by increased demand for football compared to the same period two years ago (Section 6.2).
3. Five groups containing an equal number of small geographic areas ranked from most deprived to least.
4. The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the Welsh Government’s official measure of relative deprivation for small areas in Wales.
5. Each quintile has a similar population size within it, and so the percentage of adults who have a demand for more sport and/or physical activity can be compared without needing to mindful of population differences between each quintile.
6. Due to wider confidence intervals
7. More generally demand was 35% (410,000 adults) for those with physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months (irrespective of whether the condition was limiting or not) and 35% (419,000 adults) for those without.
8. Note: This question was only asked to those who participated or had demand (69% of adults; 1,708,000 people).  As a result, 31% (778,000 people) were not asked this question