Cost to play community-level sport in Australia

Participation in community club-based sport delivers significant physical, social, and psychological health benefits, yet the cost to play is consistently identified as one of the most common barriers to participation across all age groups. Existing data have largely been limited to registration fees paid to sport organisations, leaving the true financial burden on individuals and families poorly understood. This study investigated the comprehensive costs associated with community sport participation across Australia. An online survey was conducted in collaboration with the Australian Sports Commission between October and December 2024, with 5,533 sports participants, including 2,457 children and 3,076 adults providing valid cost data. Costs were examined across sport type, sport size, socioeconomic status, and residential location, using descriptive statistics and ANOVA, with mean and medians costs examined. The average total annual cost to participate in community-level sport was $4,567 for children and $2,894 for adults-substantially higher than previously reported figures, which excluded costs such as equipment, coaching, travel and loss of parental income due to sport commitment/travel. Entry-level costs alone averaged $1,161 for children and $1,200 for adults. Costs varied considerably by sport, with individual sports more expensive than team sports for both children and adults. The overall total cost for children to play sport were similar for those living in major cities compared to regional/remote areas. However, there were regional differences with children in regional and remote areas facing significantly higher travel and accommodation costs than those in major cities, and children in cities paying more for coaching and registration fees. Two thirds of all participants (67%) reported that cost was a limiting factor in their participation decision, rising to 78% for children, and was disproportionately reported among persons with a disability, CALD participants, and those in the most disadvantaged areas. These findings provide comprehensive evidence to date of the true cost of community sport participation in Australia, with significant implications for sport policy, funding, and sport's governing bodies to ensure sport remains accessible for all Australians.