Sport is a winner for the Australian economy

Australian Bureau of Statistics research shows sport contributes $12.8 billion to the national economy, and employs more than 134,000 people.

Sport also attracts more than 2.3 million volunteers – 14 per cent of the nation’s adult population. And yes, that’s almost double the number of volunteers for religious organisations (1.4m). Australian Rules football and horse racing are the most popular sporting events, with both men and women.

The findings are detailed in an ABS report, Value of Sport, Australia, published online on 24 October.