Sport Ireland has revealed its latest Spotlight on Participation in Sport report, published on September 30. The report has revealed an encouraging growth in sports participation among LGBTQ+ communities, while also underlining a persistent gap in social involvement compared with heterosexual participants.

The survey carried out in 2024 shows that active sports participation among LGBTQ+ people has increased by nine percentage points since 2021, reaching 58%. Despite this progress, the rate remains four percentage points lower than their heterosexual counterparts, who record a 62% participation level. While the overall gap is relatively narrow, Sport Ireland emphasises the importance of continued efforts to ensure inclusivity and long-term engagement.

More striking, however, is the disparity in social participation. Defined as activities such as club membership, volunteering, and attending sporting events, social participation levels stand at 38% within the LGBTQ+ community compared with 54% among heterosexual people. This 16% gap highlights a significant challenge in fostering stronger connections and a greater sense of belonging through sport.

The report also identifies the most popular sporting activities, with personal exercise leading the way at 18%. Swimming (8%), running (7%), and cycling (5%) follow behind, with their order of popularity unchanged from previous years. In terms of venues, gyms and sports centres remain the most common locations (30%), followed by exercising at home (15%) and at sports clubs (14%).  However, a notable 46% of participants reported that they typically exercise on their own.

Mary van Lieshout, Sport Ireland’s Director of Participation, Ethics, Integrity and Research, acknowledged both the achievements and the challenges ahead. She said, “Progress has certainly been made, but work remains to be done, especially in the area of social participation.” 

She went on to describe how these gaps can begin to be bridged: “We have published a guidance document for the inclusion of transgender and non-binary people in Irish sports. In addition, Sport Ireland’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy sets a vision for a sport sector that is diverse and inclusive.”

Benny Cullen, Director of Research and Innovation at Sport Ireland, emphasised the importance of sustaining current momentum revealed in the report for LGBTQ+ people. “Now is the time to build on this record-high interest in sport,” he said.

“With more people active than ever, we must focus on keeping them involved long-term. This means establishing sustainable participation pathways, helping casual participants move to regular, structured and time-efficient sport participation habits that they can build into their weekly routines.”

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