According to a new survey conducted by Spain’s Superior Sports Council (CSD), the number of Spaniards participating in some kind of sport at least once per year rose by 6.1 percentage points – from 53.5 to 59.6 percent – between 2015 and 2020. Last year, six out of ten Spaniards over the age of 15 practiced a sport. This breaks down to 65.5 percent of men and 53.9 percent of women. In terms of percentage increases, though, the women (6.4%) beat out the men (5.7%). By age, the figure is 80 percent for Spaniards below 55 and 41.3 percent for those 55 and above. By education, it’s 73.5 percent of those with a university degree and 65 percent of those with a high school diploma.
In particular, 58.1 percent of the respondents said they practiced a sport it at least once a month, 54.8 percent at least once a week and 27.1 percent every day.
In the thick of last year’s lockdowns, from April to May, 41 percent of Spaniards exercised at least once weekly, or 13.8 percentage points less than for the whole of 2020. The once-per-month figures are comparable. It has already been reported elsewhere that participation levels fell in particular in the areas of indoor and team sports, while running, cycling and outdoor activities were on the rise.
Some 62.4 percent said they had maintained their pandemic exercise habits after the lockdowns, while 17.1 percent said they were doing it less and 12.9 percent doing it more. Increasing age seems to have steeled the resolve, as 72 percent of Spaniards aged 55 or over were maintaining their regimens. In general, the time devoted to sports activities is highest below the age of 24. It declines between 25 and 34 years of age and then recovers slightly between ages 45 and 54.
The survey also looked into starting ages for sport. Some 65.1 percent started before their 15th birthday, 19.9 percent at age 15 to 24, 9.3 percent at age 25 to 44, and 5.7 percent at age 45 and above. By sex, 73.6 percent of men and 55.3 percent of women started before age 15.
Excuses for not exercising included “no time” (44%), “no interest” (19.8%), “health” (13.2%) and “age” (11.9%).
The survey, part of Spain’s National Statistical Plan, was conducted – from September 2020 to January 2021 – by the Statistics and Studies Division of the Technical General Secretary’s Office of the Ministry of Culture and Sport. Because of the pandemic, it fell short of the ministry’s usual statistical rigor, the researchers having polled 40 percent of 12,000 participants stipulated in its official method.
