‘Too many girls miss out’: new research shows extent of gap to boys in sport participation

Teenage girls are facing a postcode lottery regarding their access to sport, with those in urban areas missing out on 100 minutes of exercise each week compared with boys, a gap that falls to 75 minutes in rural communities.

New research from consultancy Public First published on Wednesday reveals stark inequalities in participation across the UK, with girls living in cities the least likely to be active.

The analysis also found participation gaps are larger among girls from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Public First has conducted detailed analysis mapping the sports participation gap between girls and boys across all 650 UK parliamentary constituencies, with the results showing a clear divide between urban and rural areas.

While girls aged 11-18 play an average of 84 minutes less sport each week than boys nationally, the gap ranges from almost zero in Cumbria to more than two-and-a-half hours every week in Birmingham Perry Barr.

Constituencies in the West Midlands and north-east have the widest average participation gaps, while those in the south-east, northwest and Scotland have the smallest.

Public First concludes that the regional inequality reflects a combination of safety concerns, social barriers, greater reliance on organised sport and lower access to facilities.

In areas with the lowest levels of sports provision, the participation gap is 46% wider than in places with the highest provision, reflecting girls’ greater reliance on clubs, teams and organised opportunities to be active.

Public First estimates that increasing teenage girls’ access to sport could unlock over £640m annually through economic benefits – £570m through productivity gains and £73m in NHS savings.

The research was commissioned by broadcaster Sky, who last year launched a campaign to make equal access to sport a legal requirement in publicly funded settings such as schools and sports clubs in receipt of government grants.

A Sky-commissioned report published last year found that teenage girls miss out on 1.4 hours a week of sport every year compared with boys. “Every girl should have the opportunity to experience the confidence, friendships and sense of belonging that sport can bring,” said Jonathan Licht, Sky’s chief sports officer in the UK and Ireland. “Yet too many girls are still missing out, and this research shows the barriers they face are not the same everywhere.

“Closing the gap means tackling inequalities in access and investment, starting in publicly funded settings where opportunity should be equal for every girl. Now is the moment to turn evidence into action and deliver lasting change for girls across the country.”

The sports minister, Stephanie Peacock, said: “Every girl deserves the chance to experience the benefits that sport can offer, but too many are still missing out. That’s why the government is investing £400m to improve facilities across the country, with a focus on underrepresented groups including women and girls, and over £1bn to help schools deliver sport.”