New Research into Europe’s Sports Habits

The European Commission recently published its Eurobarometer report, which looks at sports and physical activity in the continent. This is the fifth instalment of this survey and it confirms that more work is needed to get Europeans moving and exercising more often.

The Numbers on the Eurobarometer

This report was published in September 2022 but is based on research carried out in April and May of the same year. One of the eye-catching numbers here is that 38% of Europeans either play a sport or carry out some other sort of physical exercise at least once every week. However, there are 45% of people living on the continent who never take part in any sort of physical activity. The remainder are people who exercise or play sport but do so less frequently than once a week.

Margaritis Schinas is the Commission’s Vice-President for Promoting the European Way of Life, and he pointed out that sport alone isn’t going to provide the solution for all of Europe’s problems, but that it can play a big part in building a community where we all feel more connected to one another. He stated that their initiatives have already reached millions but that more work is needed to boost the activity levels of Europeans.

The percentage of people exercising decreases as we rise through the age groups, dropping to just 21% of respondents aged 55 or older exercising regularly. The two big reasons given for not exercising more are a lack of time and a lack of motivation. As for those people who exercise, the number one reason given is to become healthier, while getting fitter and relaxing are other big reasons given.

The Growth of Sport in Europe

While the number of Europeans playing sports is lower than hoped for, there’s no doubt that our love of sports is as strong as ever before, if not stronger. This is reflected in the growing TV audiences across the continent. For example, millions of people across the continent watch their domestic football leagues every week, while the Champions League unites fans from across Europe for the biggest games.

2022’s UEFA Champions League final was viewed by an average audience of 7.7 million on Spain’s RTVE, while 5.9 million French sports fans tuned into it on TF1. In the UK, BT Sports said that they had a record average audience of 12.6 million for the game between Real Madrid and Liverpool in the Stade de France.

We can also see how online sports betting has brought fans closer to the action. The Sportingtech website shows how this works, with their platform allowing operators to give their customers a unified account experience that is the same online as it is in a land-based location. By feeding the latest and most accurate odds, they ensure that fans can bet on their favourite sports, with live betting available on games taking place at the time.

It’s clear that Europeans still love sport, but more initiatives are needed to encourage them to be more active. Getting more people to take the step from watching sport to playing it will help to keep us healthier and more connected to our communities. 

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