Sport: 63% of French people practice an activity regularly and spend 260 euros per year

While 2024 is shaping up to be a major year for sport in France, the latest Sofinscope focuses on the place that sport occupies among the French. It is clear that a majority of the French population regularly practices a sports activity (63%). And the annual budget dedicated to sport, whether for practice or to follow competitions from home or in a sports arena, amounts to 260 euros per year.

KEY FIGURES

•2 out of 3 French people practice at least one sporting activity.
•They spend an average of 3 hours and 30 minutes each week.
•Sport or Nordic walking is the first sport practiced by adults (14%) and it is football that wins the 1st place among children (16%). 
•34% of French people have a subscription (paid or free) to sports facilities, a gym or a sports application.
 

SPORTS PRACTICE OCCUPIES AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE DAILY LIVES OF THE FRENCH

Nearly two thirds of French people report practicing at least one sport (63%) and this concerns all family members: half of respondents share their life with an athlete, and 69% of parents have one or more minor children who practice a sports activity.

More than one in three French people even say they have a real passion for sport (37%) and they devote a significant amount of time to it: on average 3h30 each week.

This time is dedicated to various activities (two on average), led by sports walking/nordic (14%), fitness/stretching (11%), cycling (10%), swimming/apnea (10%) and running (9%). As for the children, they mainly practice football (16%), swimming/apnea (14%), but also cycling (10%), athletics (7%) or dance (7%).

THE FRENCH DEDICATE 260 EUROS EACH YEAR TO PRACTICE AND WATCH SPORTS

This amount amounts to 360 euros on average if we consider only people who practice sport. A budget dedicated to registration for activities but also to subscription. Indeed, 27% of French people have a paid subscription for a sports venue or application and this proportion climbs to 38% among people who practice a sport. 

The French also use this budget to equip themselves, and do so for pleasure. 37% of interviewees admit that they like to buy new sports equipment or items, and this is even the case for a majority of athletes (51%).

To optimize their budget, 59% of respondents prefer private labels when buying equipment, 29% opt for second-hand equipment and 51% have used or could use a payment facility to finance their sports or attend sports competitions.
 

The practice of sports activities in France is important and demonstrates the attention paid by the French to their health and well-being. This dynamic must be sustained to allow as many people as possible to practice and take an interest in sport. Sofinco contributes to this through its partnerships with Décathlon and Fnac-Darty by providing financing solutions that help their customers equip themselves. 

Franck ONIGA

Directeur général de Sofinco

Any total or partial publication must use the following statement: “Sofinscope – OpinionWay Barometer for Sofinco”.

Sofinco Press Service

Claire Garcia – presse@ca-cf.fr  / +33(0)6 80 41 17 77

About Sofinscope
Sofinscope is the barometer of Sofinco, a brand of Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance. Intended to survey the French on their consumption habits and to better understand them, this barometer which is part of the daily lives of the French is carried out by OpinionWay for Sofinco, with representative samples of the French population.
This study was conducted on a sample of 1,012 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The sample was selected according to the quota method, taking into account the criteria of sex, age, socio-occupational category, agglomeration category and region of residence. The interviews were conducted from 20 to 21 March 2024 by self-administered online questionnaire on a CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) system. All the results are available online on the Sofinscope website: Sofinco’s Consumer and Daily Barometer

About Sofinco
In France, Sofinco is the trademark of Crédit Agricole Consumer Finance, a consumer credit subsidiary of Crédit Agricole S.A. which distributes a wide range of loans to individuals and associated services across all distribution channels: direct sales, point-of-sale financing (automotive and home equipment) and partnerships. Sofinco offers flexible, responsible solutions adapted to the needs of its customers and partners (major retail, specialized and institutional retailers), which are part of its project “Sofinco for Good, the promise of shared progress”. The Google UX Finance 2023 Benchmark has awarded Sofinco.fr the title of “Best Customer Journey”.
To learn more : www.sofinco.fr