Economic Value of Sport in England

Growth in the sport sector has outstripped the English economy as a whole over the past two decades, according to research published in August 2010.

The sport economy’s annual contribution has reached £16.668 billion¹ - up 140% in real terms between 1985 and 2008.

The research was commissioned by Sport England and carried out by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University. The researchers found that growth between 2005 and 2008 was “driven by investment directed towards the London Olympics and a long-term Sport England policy to increase sport participation”. They argue that sport’s resilience reflects the growing number of people who “consider sports participation as being more a basic need than a luxury”.

Other key findings of the report, The Economic Value of Sport in England, include:

1. Consumer spend on sport in England was £17.384 billion in 2008 – up 138% since 1985²
2. The number of people with sport-related jobs has also grown, reaching 441,000 – that’s 1.8% of all employment in England³
3. Over three-quarters of these jobs are in the commercial sector, with 13% working in the public sector⁴

The report also compares the value of the sport sector across the country. It finds that London makes the largest contribution, reflecting the size of the capital’s economy. However, per capita spending on sport is greatest in the east of England at £404

You can download summary and full versions of the regional reports by clicking on the links to the right.

Footnotes

¹ This figure is the gross value added (GVA) by the sport sector in 2008, based on current prices. GVA is calculated as the sum of wages and profits generated in the sector. GVA in 1985 was £3.358 billion, and in 2003 it was £13.649 billion.

² Real term growth. Sport-related consumer spending accounts for 2.3% of overall consumer spending in England.

³ Sport-related employment in England has grown from 304,000 in 1985 to 441,000 in 2008.

⁴ 339,000 (76%) of sport-related employment was in the commercial sector in 2008. The voluntary sector accounted for 11% and the public sector for 13%.