Data-driven look at the power of activity in England

Over the past few months, Sport England has released a suite of major research reports that paint a comprehensive picture of sport and physical activity across England. SportsNation looks into the data and insights of each and charts what the reports tell us

Throughout November and December 2025, Sport England published three major pieces of research which offer data-led insights into the current state of sport and physical activity. From estimating the social and economic value of sport and real-time insights on community facility usage to tracking what’s happening with children and young people, the studies underscore not only sport’s enormous positive impact but also where persistent challenges remain.

The three reports are Active Lives Children and Young People Survey (December 2025), the latest social value model report (November 2025) and Moving Communities report (November 2025)

Social value of sport – £122.9bn a year

Sport England’s second annual Social Value Model report – published in late 2025 – provides arguably the boldest headline yet on the value of sport: community sport and physical activity generated an estimated £122.9 billion in social value across England in 2023-24. This latest analysis, produced with partners including social value advisors, State of Life, Sheffield Hallam University and Manchester Metropolitan University, uses Active Lives data combined with wider health evidence to quantify the benefits of being active. It looks not just at economic output, but at wellbeing and health savings too. Among the key findings were that sport and physical activity provides a £36.2 billion boost to the economy through Gross Value Added (GVA), as well as £8 billion in direct savings to the NHS from illness prevention, thanks to nearly 3.3 million cases of chronic conditions prevented annually (including depression, back pain and type 2 diabetes). Through getting people to be more physically active and creating a healthier workforce, the sector also contributed £6 billion in productivity gains and generated £14 billion in tax revenue – a return of roughly 6-7 times public investment in sport.

Perhaps most strikingly, Sport England found that for every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity, £4.38 of value is generated for society – up from £4.20 the year before.

Sport England CEO, Simon Hayes, said: “The research confirms that health is wealth. Sport and exercise are vital to our economy and society and must be part of the solution to big problems.

“By protecting and investing in opportunities to be active – particularly for communities and people that face the most barriers to taking part – the nation will be healthier, wealthier, and happier.” However, the research also highlights the persistent inequality gap – and the value that is currently going unrealised as a result of lack of access to sport for all. The analysis estimates that nearly £20 billion more value could be unlocked if less active groups matched the activity levels of the most active.

Sport and exercise are vital to our economy and society and must be part of the solution to big problems

Local facilities driving participation

While the Social Value Model estimates national value, the Moving Communities report takes a more granular look at what’s happening on the ground. Rather than a single static report, Moving Communities provides a dynamic data platform tracking participation in programmes and facilities – from gyms and pools to community clubs – across England. It is designed to offer real-time, actionable insight for local authorities, delivery partners, and policymakers. Analysis from the April 2023–March 2025 period highlights several trends. These include that public leisure centres generated an estimated £3.63 billion in social value during the review period and that the number of female users increased, with women now representing 53% of visits. Participation among residents in some of England’s most deprived areas increased modestly, which suggests that inroads are being made into chipping away at the £20 billion of “lost value” identified in the previous report.

The insights show that public facilities are not only bouncing back from the pandemic but are increasingly serving as anchors for community activity and wellbeing. This comes despite the ongoing financial fragility in the sector, which sees many local centres operating just at break-even, while rising operational costs pose a threat to long-term sustainability.

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director of Place, commented on the importance of the findings: “Moving Communities continues to shine a light on how public leisure facilities serve communities and drive significant social value … but there is still more we can collectively do to reach more deprived groups.”

Children and young people – progress, but inequalities remain

The third major report from Sport England, the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey 2024-25, provides the most detailed snapshot yet of how young people in England are moving every day. The large survey (based on more than 130,000 school children) assesses not only activity levels but also volunteering, attitudes, wellbeing, and demographic differences. The headline findings suggest that while activity levels are improving, they aren’t increasing quick enough.

The report shows that nearly half (49.1%) of children aged between five and 16 are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guideline of 60 minutes of daily activity – the highest level since the survey began in 2017. The figure represents a 5.8% increase since 2017-18, or an extra 580,000 active children.

One of the clearest themes of the report is that inequalities remain stubborn

Disappointingly, however, there has only been a 1.3% improvement over the previous year, which means that less than half of all children are active enough, so millions are still falling short of the standard that supports long-term health and wellbeing.

When it comes to activity levels, other key findings include that: ● 28.4% of young people are classed as less active (less than 30 minutes a day). ● 22.5% are fairly active (30-59 minutes a day). ● Boys are generally more active than girls, and activity levels vary by age group, with children aged seven to nine among the least active.

One of the clearest themes of the report is that inequalities remain stubborn. Children from least affluent families are less likely to meet activity guidelines than those from affluent backgrounds, while those with two or more characteristics of inequality are the least likely to be active overall. Differences by ethnicity endure, with Black and Asian children less likely to reach activity targets compared to White counterparts.

The survey also tracked volunteering, showing that almost 48% of children aged 9-16 gave up their time to support sport or activity, though levels have not yet returned to pre-pandemic norms. Importantly, the survey reinforces that being active correlates with better self-reported wellbeing – echoing findings in the Social Value Model about the mental health value of activity.

The way forward

Taken together, the three streams of research provide a powerful narrative about sport and activity in England today. They paint a picture of sport and physical activity being enormously valuable – socially, economically and, unquestionably, for wellbeing.

Local facilities remain crucial hubs for engagement, but face economic pressures and must continue evolving to reach under-served communities.

While there are encouraging trends when it comes to children and young people (the highest activity levels since monitoring began) the fact that a substantial proportion fall short of recommended activity levels are a major concern – as is the persistent inequality in access to sport.

What emerges is a call not just for celebration, but for targeted action: better investment, smarter local delivery, and a strategic focus on closing gaps in participation across communities, ages, and demographic groups. Only by tackling these disparities head-on will the sector unlock the full potential of sport as a cornerstone of public health, education and social cohesion.