Abstract
The goal of the statistical programme reviewed here was to describe the growth and status of the sports sector and to supply data for policy makers for formulating national objectives. The data is useful for evaluating the results of policies pursued from time to time and, if necessary, for correcting them.
The overall involvement in sports was high in terms of frequency rates of participation for a cross-section of the population. However, sports practices differ widely among different groups of the population despite large-scale public funding of activities and the provision of facilities. Participation rates are significantly higher for high-income earners and for people with high levels of education and professional status. Furthermore, the statistics confirm that parents practicing sports influence children to adopt sports as a form of leisure activity rather than other activities such as playing musical instruments.
The statistical challenges ahead are twofold. First, to define adequately the social goals of achievement and to establish methods of valuation of sports in terms of the social concept of the wealth of the nation. Second, to establish common standards of classification for compiling and presenting sports statistics, so that they are internationally comparable.
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