Published in September 2021 and put together for the European Commision by KEA European Affairs and Ecorys, the Mapping Sport Statistics and Data in the EU report is the first detailed mapping of the economic and social contribution of sport at national and EU level.
Based on the latest available statistics and data (2012 to 2021), the mapping identifies challenges related to data collection methodologies, their gaps and overlaps, and further offers policy recommendations to harmonise sport statistics across the EU-27. Additional challenges include varying definitions of ‘sport’ and Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA), and the cross-sectorial nature of sport and its economic and social impact. While the social impact of sport is widely acknowledged, data to quantify it is scarce, generally non-comparable, and lacking information for specific groups (such as the social inclusion of marginalised groups in general). The mapping organises findings through seven thematic chapters: economic dimension, health and wellbeing, social dimension, professional sport, grassroots sport, funding dimensions, and policy dimension.
EuropeActive provided data and insight into the fitness and physical activity sector through interview and the 2020 European Health & Fitness Market Report, offering a comprehensive understanding of our sector’s economic dimension, accessibility to HEPA through fitness membership, and an up-to-date figure of the number of fitness clubs per Member State. The report includes infographics factsheets of sport statistics and data at EU level and for each of the EU-27 countries, relating to the available data organised under the report’s chapter themes.