Number of women playing sport increases

The number of women playing sport is at an all-time high, according to data released by Sports England.

7.21 million women now play sport and do regular physical activity, 250,000 more than when Sport England launched its This Girl Can campaign. It means the gender gap, which once stood at over two million, has narrowed to 1.55 million.

The latest figures from Sport England’s Active People Survey show further growth in the overall number of people who play sport, which now stands at 15.97 million people over the age of 16 playing sport weekly – 229,400 more than 12 months ago.

Jennie Price, Sport England chief executive, said: “These figures are really encouraging, especially the substantial increase in the number of women playing sport and being active every week.  Our This Girl Can campaign set out to tackle the gender gap, so to reduce it significantly in just two years shows we are making a difference.”

The number of women playing golf is still disappointing though, with England lagging behind most European countries when it comes to female participation and membership.

For the results, visit www.sportengland.org