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EIPA International Benchmarking Study Sport

Public Sector Performance 2022 – 2025 Study Results

4.1. INTRODUCTION TO SPORT

The EIPA benchmarking study, covering the period 2022–2025, will examine the performance of the public sector in 35 countries: the 27 Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA) countries Norway, Iceland and Switzerland and the Anglosphere countries – the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

This chapter is based on data from Eurostat/Eurobarometer, OECD statistics and the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS). The quality of the data is variable, sufficient for a large number of indicators for EU countries, less so for the rest of Europe and rather weak for the Anglosphere countries. There is not the capacity to select and include data for each country separately; however, if one or two countries are missing from the data set, national data will be added where relevant – this is a pragmatic issue. As this is the first benchmarking study on sport, and due to the quality of the data, the focus will be on comparing countries for the most recent year of data available for the indicator. We will however, where possible, compare time series for different countries. Furthermore, the demographic cohort represented in the disparate statistical datasets encompasses individuals aged 15 or 16 and above, with the occasional inclusion of those aged 18 and above. Consequently, statistics pertaining to younger children are not included, as there is a lack of comparable data.

4.1.1. Concepts
Defining sport in this study

This chapter examines the concept of sport, its definition and the challenges of measuring it across countries. It follows the definition of the European Council from 1992, which includes both recreational and competitive sports, but excludes physical activity related to work or study, including walking or cycling to work or to study. The discussion will not address elite or professional sports2 as a discrete issue; rather, it will focus on the broader participation in sport and exercise among the general population. It is the role of the public sector in promoting sport and physical activity and the differences in participation in sport and exercise between countries that are mainly examined. 

4.1.2. Why sport and exercise?
Why measure leisure time activities such as sport and physical activity?

The benefits of sport and physical activity are numerous – both intrinsic, such as enjoyment, well-being and belonging, and extrinsic, such as integration, community and, last but not least, mental and physical health. The extrinsic benefits, including the health factor, have been put high on the agenda by both the WHO (OECD/WHO 2023) and the EU (Council of the EU, 2013). The physical inactivity of the population is of great concern as it is linked to the increase in obesity and other non-communicable diseases. 

Uitgever(s): European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA),

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