Sport participation falls among people on low incomes in the Netherlands

People on low incomes in the Netherlands are less likely to take part in sport, and the gap with higher earners has widened, according to new research reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

In 2024, nearly two-thirds of people with the lowest incomes had taken part in sport at least once during the year, down from about 72% in 2014. Among the highest earners, participation rose slightly, from 88% to 89%, the CBS figures show.

Cost was a concern for many respondents on low incomes: nearly seven in ten said sport was too expensive, while a third said they had no money for it after paying their regular bills. Among people on high incomes, fewer than half considered sport too costly and 6% said they had no money left for it.

Financial support is available for sport costs. The Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur, which supports young people, received about 87,000 applications a year in recent years. A similar initiative for adults, launched five years ago, received around 22,000 applications last year.

The fund says support needs to be easy to find and access so children from lower-income households can take part. It says that when financial circumstances determine whether someone can play sport, opportunities are not equal.