The higher the household income, the higher the sport participation rate. This observation is consistent with the trend that it is young people between the ages of 15-24 that tend to be most active in sport. It seems that persons with the least amount of free time are the ones participating in sport. Most Popular Sports Golf, hockey, baseball and swimming were by far the sports most frequently reported by adult Canadians in 1998. Golf has replaced hockey as the number one sport activity reported.
Family income is key to children's involvement in sport.
There is a surge in women belonging to sport clubs. A gender gap exists when it comes to competing in sporting events. Of the 3 million Canadians competing, over two-thirds were men. Young active Canadians between the ages of 15-18 competed in greater proportion than any other age group. This increase took place across all age groups with the exception of older Canadians aged 55 plus.