Participation in sport

The data summarised here are based on Scottish Household Survey results from 2023 and illustrate participation in sport by gender, age, deprivation (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation [SIMD]) and illness/disability.

These figures highlight that for most activities and most age groupings, Glaswegians more or less matched the Scottish average for participation levels in sport.

Walking remained the most popular sporting activity, with 67.9% of Glaswegians walking for at least 30 minutes over a four-week period, below the national figure of 71.1%. Glaswegians were more likely than those across Scotland to engage in multigym use/weight training (16.7% compared to 15.9%), football (6.3% compared to 4.9%), and dancing (6.7% compared to 5.3%). However, Glasgow trailed behind Scotland in participation in cycling (10% versus 10.7%) and golf (2.2% versus 5.3%). Additionally, 25.7% of Glaswegians reported not participating in any sport over a four-week period, higher than the national figure of 20.5%.

Male participation in sport

Men in Glasgow were most likely to engage in walking, multigym use/weight training, swimming, cycling and football as their primary sporting activities. In 2023, 23.8% of men in Glasgow did not participate in any sporting activity over the period, compared to 18.4% in Scotland.

Female participation in sport

Women in Glasgow were most likely to walk, take part in aerobics, use multi-gyms or swim. In 2023, 27.6% of Glaswegian women did not take part in any regular physical activity over a four week period, compared to 22.5% of women in Scotland overall.

Participation in sport in the last four weeks by age 

Participation in sport tends to decline with age. In Glasgow in 2023, younger adults tended to be involved in the greatest range of different activities, with 86.5% of those aged 16 to 34 participating in any physical activity, compared to 55.2% of those aged 60 or over.
Middle-aged and older adults were far more likely to walk for recreational purposes rather than take part in other activities, with only 20.8% of those aged 60 or above in Glasgow participating in any physical activity other than walking.

Participation in sport in the last four weeks by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation

Those living in the 20% most-deprived areas were less likely to participate in a sporting activity in Glasgow than those in the least-deprived areas (65.9% compared to 85.5%, respectively). The proportions participating in sporting activity by deprivation were similar in Scotland overall.

Participation in sport in the last four weeks by long-standing illness, health problem or disability

In both Glasgow and Scotland, participation in sport was significantly reduced among individuals with a long-term physical or mental health condition. In Glasgow, 46.5% of adults with a long-term physical or mental health condition took part in any sport over a four-week period, compared to 83.1% of non-disabled adults. In Scotland, the participation rates were 58% for disabled individuals and 87% for non-disabled individuals.

Notes

It should be noted that many of the apparent differences in the figures between Glasgow and Scotland may not be significant due to the relatively small sample sizes.

This page was last updated in February 2025.