Sport and exercise in Denmark, Scandinavia and Europe

Abstract

Participation in sports and exercise has continuously increased in Denmark as in the other countries for some years now, and a majority of the population is regularly taking part in exercise and sport. The increase has implied that many from older age groups and more women have become active, but the new demand has been within the more exercise oriented disciplines, whereas the traditional sports and games have more or less stagnated. The essay describes the development and its background and implications in Denmark and the other Nordic countries. Furthermore the level of participation in sports and exercises in the 25 European Union countries is described and discussed.

Notes

¹ Surveys on Cultural and Leisure time activities have been carried out in Denmark in 1964, 1975, 1987, 1993, 1998 and 2004. The surveys are all based on random samples representative of the population aged 15 and above. The results have been reported in Kühl in 1980, Kühl and Koch-Nielsen in 1966 and 1976, Fridberg in 1989, 1994 and 2000, and finally in Bille and Fridberg in 2005.

² EC, Special EUROBAROMETER 213, ‘Citizens of the European Union and Sport’. November 2004. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_213_report_en.pdf.

³ The Swedish data are from SCB Statistics Sweden. Fritid 1976–2002, and the Norwegian data from Vaage, Trening, mosjon og friluftsliv.

⁴ Norsk Monitor, Hovedrapport.

⁵ EC, Special EUROBAROMETER 213, ‘Citizens of the European Union and Sport’.

⁶ Larsen, Den tredje bølge.