More than seven in ten people in Ireland are taking part in sport or physical exercise, with women recording higher participation rates than men, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The study found that an estimated 2.97 million people aged between 15 and 74 participate in sport or physical exercise, representing 72.5% of the population in that age group.
Walking and hiking proved to be the most popular activities nationwide, with 1.73 million people, taking part.
Christopher O'DONNELL, Rhasidat ADELEKE, Thomas BARR, Sharlene MAWDSLEY Editorial credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com
Gym-based activities ranked second at 22.4%, while swimming came in third with 9.8% participation.
Among team sports, soccer remained the most popular, while Gaelic football followed at 3.9%.
The figures revealed a notable gender difference in participation rates. Women recorded a slightly higher level of involvement in sport and physical activity at 72.9%, compared with 72.1% among men.
Senior Camogie All-Ireland Championship Final match . Editorial credit: D. Ribeiro / Shutterstock.com
Women were more likely to participate in activities such as walking, hiking and gym-based exercise, while men showed higher participation levels in soccer, Gaelic football and golf.
Age also played a role in activity choices. Younger people aged 15 to 24 were generally more likely to engage in physical exercise, while older age groups were more inclined towards walking, hiking and cycling.
Regional differences were also evident across the country. The Mid-West region, which includes Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, recorded the highest participation rate at 74.7%. Meanwhile, the South-East, encompassing Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford, had the lowest level of participation at 67.7%.
The findings highlight the strong appetite for sport across Ireland, with walking.
