Today we’ve published a local breakdown of the annual social value of sport and physical activity, presenting the figures by region, active partnership and local authority.
In October 2024 we announced that the overall social value of community sport and physical activity across England was £107.2 billion in 2022/23.
That figure consisted of a 'primary' value placed on the wellbeing of adults, children and young people taking part and volunteering in sport and physical activity (£96.7bn), and a 'secondary' value that calculated the wider savings to the health and social care system a year (£10.5bn).
We’ve now broken down these numbers locally so individuals and organisations can discover the social value of taking part or volunteering in sport and physical activity where they live.
Our chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said: "Our research makes it clear that sport and physical activity must be a major part of the government’s plans to deliver national growth.
"We create growth through health: active lifestyles turbo-charge wellbeing, prevent illness, relieve NHS pressure and boost economic growth. If we can protect and invest in opportunities to play sport and be active, particularly for communities and people that face the most barriers to taking part, we will be healthier, wealthier, and happier.
"That’s why our 10-year strategy Uniting the Movement is laser-focused on tackling inequalities in activity levels across the country."
The local data, which you can download below, shows the regions in England with the greatest combined social value in 2022/23 were the South East (£18.3bn), London (£16.2bn) and the North West (£13.8bn).
Meanwhile, the breakdown of the numbers across England’s 43 active partnerships is headed by London (£16.2bn), Greater Manchester (£5.2bn) and West Yorkshire (£4.3bn).
The figures can also be viewed by individual local authority area, again organised by the nine regions in England – East, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, South East, South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Organisations can use this data, along with the research we published in October, to better understand the impact that being active can have on the lives of individuals and communities, the delivery of public services and our economy.
Social value explained
The video consists of a series of animated infographics. This description explains the text on screen and the animated sequences linking them.
A football rolls onto screen – a blue background – while a basketball falls through a hoop and a bicycle rolls.
£107.2 billion – Total annual social value of sport and physical activity in England for 2022-23.
The animations fade away and the text disappears.
£96.7 billion – Primary value of sport and physical activity: individual wellbeing
An icon of a head appears on the screen with a heart in the centre of the head.
£10.5 billion – Secondary value of sport and physical activity: wider value to society
An icon of a group of people appears on screen, with a circle sweeping around their feet to indicate togetherness.
£96.7 billion in Primary value
A graphic appears on screen with the Primary value figure at the top, with three arrows underneath it showing the three values that contribute to the total figure.
£8.2 billion – adult volunteering to support sport and physical activity.
An icon with two hands shaking, in the shape of a heart, appears on the screen.
This figure consists of an average value per adult of £2,100 from weekly volunteering and £1,000 per adult from monthly volunteering.
£79.9 billion – adult participation
An icon of two adults in a green circle appears on the screen.
The figure consists of an average value per ‘active’ adult of £2,500 and an average value per ‘fairly active’ adult of £1,200.
£8.6 billion – children and young people (ages 11-16) participation.
An icon of two children in a green circle appears on the screen.
The figure consists of an average value per ‘active’ young person of £4,100 and an average value per ‘fairly active’ young person of £3,100.
The existing graphics transition off the screen and a new orange background appears with a blue pulsing heart, a head with a brain inside and a stethoscope appears.
£10.5 billion – secondary value of sport and physical activity: wider value to society.
A graphic appears on screen with the Secondary value figure at the top, with three arrows underneath it showing the three values that contribute to the total figure.
£1.3 billion – reduced GP visits and mental health service usage
An icon appears with a prescription chart, a person and a downward arrow.
£9.3 billion – prevention of disease and chronic health conditions (across 14 health outcomes – e.g. depression and type 2 diabetes).
An orange icon of a heart, with a cross in the middle of it, appears on screen.
-£0.13 billion – cost of sports injuries
Average secondary health value per ‘active’ adult is £315.
Average secondary health value per ‘fairly active’ adult is £230.
All current graphics fade out of vision and the £107.2 billion figure reappears, with a line underneath showing the relevant contributions to the figure from the Primary (£96.7 billion) and Secondary (£10.5 billion) values.
All current graphics fade out of vision and a set of scales appear on a purple background, along with an ‘not equal to’ symbol.
£15.6 billion – annual cost of inequality in adult physical activity levels (calculated from both primary and secondary values).
All current graphic dissolve from the screen and a white background appears with the Sport England logo on it.
To find our more please see our report: sportengland.org/socialvalue
Special thanks to our partners:
Manchester Metropolitan University
Sheffield Hallam University
State of Life