31/08/2026
The average annual cost of community sport is now estimated at $4,567 for a child.
But one of the most important findings from new national research is not only how much families are spending, it is where those costs sit-and how differently the financial burden is experienced.
Commissioned by the Australian Sports Commission and led by
PASI - Physical Activity and Sport Insights Director Professor Rochelle Eime, alongside Professor Hans Westerbeek, Melanie Charity and Dr Katherine Owen, the study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of the cost of participating in community sport in Australia.
Drawing on valid cost data from over 5,500 current sport participants across the country, the research findings capture far more than registration fees. It includes uniforms, equipment, coaching, facility hire, competitions, travel, accommodation and income lost by parents and caregivers because of sport commitments.
The headline findings:
📊 $4,567 - average total annual cost for a child
📊 $2,894 - average total annual cost for an adult
📊 $1,161 for children and $1,200 for adults - average entry-level costs covering registration, uniforms and equipment
📊 67% of current participants said cost limited their participation decisions, rising to 78% among children
The findings show why affordability cannot be addressed through registration fees alone.
Individual sports were more expensive on average, largely because of coaching, equipment and facility-hire costs. Yet team-sport participants were more likely to report cost as a limiting factor - 73%, compared with 59% of individual-sport participants.
Location changes the cost burden too.
Although total costs for children were similar across metropolitan and regional or remote areas, regional families paid considerably more for travel and accommodation. Families in major cities paid more for coaching and club registration.
The total may look similar. The barrier - and therefore the most useful response - can be very different.
For governments, NSOs, SSOs, associations and clubs, this raises an important question:
Are affordability initiatives addressing the costs participants are actually experiencing?
Fee relief, travel assistance, equipment access and changes to competition structures each address different parts of the problem. The right intervention will depend on the sport, the location and the participants being supported.
For sporting organisations, this research provides more than a national benchmark. It demonstrates how stronger evidence can help identify the particular costs, barriers and participation patterns shaping a sport - and inform more targeted strategies, stronger investment decisions and practical actions that help more people get involved and stay involved.
If your organisation is examining affordability, retention or participation growth, connect with Rochelle Eime to explore how PASI can help turn participation evidence into strategic action.
📖 Read the full research via the link in the comments.
