Consumers spent £3.61 billion on sports goods (including equipment and clothing) in 2000 - which activities are demonstrating the greater links between sports participation and fashion?

Have the Government's initiatives such as "Space for Sport" provided greater opportunity to partake in sports activities?

35% of people aged under-30 partake in some form of fitness and running - what is the most popular youth sport?

This report examines the market for youth sport participation, and is the first time Mintel has analysed the market specifically for the under-30s. Youth and Sport analyses participation and venues for the sports covered in this report in the UK, but concentrates mainly on an exclusive consumer research survey undertaken by Mintel on participation and attitudes towards sports by the youth market.

Consumers spent £3.61 billion on sports goods (including equipment and clothing) in 2000 - which activities are demonstrating the greater links between sports participation and fashion?

Have the Government's initiatives such as "Space for Sport" provided greater opportunity to partake in sports activities?

35% of people aged under-30 partake in some form of fitness and running - what is the most popular youth sport?

This report examines the market for youth sport participation, and is the first time Mintel has analysed the market specifically for the under-30s. Youth and Sport analyses participation and venues for the sports covered in this report in the UK, but concentrates mainly on an exclusive consumer research survey undertaken by Mintel on participation and attitudes towards sports by the youth market.

The aim of the report is to provide a snapshot of the youth and sport market in the UK and to ascertain trends within the market in terms of where youth participants go to partake in sport.

The under-30s have traditionally been the core market for sports participation in the UK due to the fact that they are younger, fitter and tend to partake in team sports to a greater degree than older people. Youth sports participants have more time in which to play sport resulting from less responsibility, ie often no family, more leisure time and increasing disposable income.

There have been several major changes to sports provision in the UK during the past decade brought about by a number of reasons. Government legislation (including public playing fields and the Best Value scheme for public leisure centres) coupled with corporate consolidation, seen in cue sports and private health clubs, have provided the public with a greater opportunity to partake in affordable sports activities. In addition, the growth in the popularity of several pastimes has been aided by widespread developments in venues, such as tennis courts.

Other Mintel reports of relevance include:

- Sporting Activities in the Great Outdoors, Leisure Intelligence, April 2000

- Leisure Centres and Swimming Pools, Leisure Intelligence, April 2000

- Special Report, Sport Participation, 2000

- Youth and Leisure, Leisure Intelligence, October 2000

- Health and Fitness Clubs, Leisure Intelligence, December 1999

- Satellite and Cable Television, Leisure Intelligence, November 1999

- Spectator Sports, Leisure Intelligence, June 1999

- Golf, Leisure Intelligence, June, 2001

- Student Leisure, Leisure Intelligence, September 2001