The decline in motor skills among primary school children identified by the Inspectorate of Education last year is probably due to factors other than the frequency of sports participation. Possible factors include less outdoor play and walking or cycling to school less often.
In the fact sheet Youth sports participation & membership of sports clubs, the Mulier Institute analysed sports participation figures for children (aged 6–11) and young people (aged 12–17) by comparing two large-scale national surveys conducted in 2003 and 2017.
The percentage of children (aged 6–11) who participate in sports was the same in both survey years (around 85%). Among young people (aged 12–19), we see some growth in sports participation (80% in 2003 and 85% in 2017). Membership of a sports club among children was also the same in 2003 and 2017 (64%). Among young people, membership of a sports club declined from 69% to 62% among those who participate in sports, and from 56% to 54% among all young people. Since young people have started participating in sports somewhat more, this group has therefore seen a shift from club-based sports to commercial forms of sport (such as fitness) and unorganised forms of sport (such as cycling and basketball on public courts).
Click here for the fact sheet Youth sports participation & membership of sports clubs. The fact sheet includes a methodological account and a comparison with other studies on youth sports.