Did you know that Italians love sport? According to ISTAT, the National Institute of Statistics, more than 20 million Italians practice one or more sports regularly or at least occasionnally, especially men. The most active are boys between the ages of 11 and 14, yet people tend to do less sport as they grow older.
Data also reveals that the more educated people are, the more sports they do. Most are graduates (52%) or high school graduates (37%), while about 21% have a lower secondary school diploma, and 7% either only have a primary school diploma or no school qualification.
The most practiced sports by Italians
The most practiced sports are gymnastics, aerobics, fitness and bodybuilding, all popular among adults up to 65 years of age; football follows, especially among those under the age of 35. Water sports are in third place. Swimming is the most popular sport among children up to the age of 10.
Many Italians prefer taking long walks or riding their bikes to doing sport. Almost 40% of the population however, lives a sedentary life, especially among those over 60.
Why do Italians play sport?
These are the main reasons why Italians do sport: for pleasure or as a passion (60%), to keep fit and healthy (55%), to have fun and as a way to spend their free time (50%), to reduce stress (32%).
For foreign students, sport is an opportunity to learn Italian and to make new Italian friends!