Earlier this week, the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) unveiled the key findings of the third chapter of its 2024 International Benchmarking Study on Public Sector Performance, focused on the role of sport and exercise and developed in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands. Alongside the findings, EIPA also launched the interactive dashboard designed for easy access to the data. Both were presented during an online event that brought together public sector professionals, policymakers, and experts to explore comparative insights from 35 countries.
Sports Participation and Public Policy in Europe
Sports Participation and Public Policy in EuropeDuring the session, Professor Nils Asle Bergsgard from the University of Southeastern Norway presented the main findings. His analysis examines patterns of sport participation across Europe, the scale and impact of public and private investment, and the broader contextual factors that influence physical activity.
Bergsgard stressed that the study covers sport and recreational practice, excluding everyday activities such as commuting by bike or on foot, and does not focus on elite sport. He underlined the intrinsic benefits of sport such as joy, well-being, and belonging, as well as extrinsic benefits such as integration, community, and especially mental and physical health.
Key Findings
Geographical Patterns: Participation is highest in Northern and Western Europe (e.g. Nordic countries, Netherlands, Luxembourg), and lowest in Southern and Eastern Europe.
- Frequency: Only 40% of Europeans engage in sport or exercise at least once a week, a figure Bergsgard described as relatively low, given the scale of inactivity-related health risks.
Government spending: While Northern and Western countries tend to invest more in sport, results show only a weak correlation between public expenditure as a share of GDP and participation rates. However, when measured in euros per inhabitant, public investment shows a stronger effect.
Private expenditure: Household spending (e.g. membership fees, equipment) is much more strongly linked to higher participation, underlining the role of personal investment.
Impact of COVID-19: Data show a clear drop in participation after 2015, with the pandemic likely driving much of the decline. Norwegian figures suggest recovery has begun, but European-wide data remain limited.
Quality of governance: One of the strongest predictors of participation is not spending, but good governance. Countries with higher scores on the European Quality Index of Good Governance also show higher participation levels.
Broader Lessons
Broader LessonsThe research shows that sport participation cannot be explained by sports policy alone. Instead, it reflects a wider mix of wealth, governance quality, education, culture, civic traditions, and infrastructure. Investment in sport matters, but broader conditions such as social cohesion and strong welfare regimes are more decisive in shaping long-term participation.
Bergsgard concluded that the most effective way to increase participation is not only through sport-specific measures, but also by strengthening governance, social trust, and civic traditions, the foundations that enable citizens to engage sustainably in sport and recreation.
For more information and access to the full study and dashboards, please visit the Benchmarking Study.
