Kids' Sport Participation Dips Slightly Despite Social Media Ban

Australian Sports Commission data shows child sport participation edged down in 2025-26 while the Prime Minister credits the social media ban.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Pre-Teens

Kids' Sport Participation Dips Slightly Despite Social Media Ban

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Are you finding it harder to afford your children's sport fees?

AusPlay figures released on Thursday show sport and physical activity participation among children aged 0 to 14 declined slightly in 2025-26. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has claimed the under-16 social media ban increased children's sport participation, a claim the figures do not support.

Why it matters

The data tests a government claim that removing underage social media accounts would get children more active. With cost cited as the main barrier to sport, the findings point to affordability as a bigger issue for families across Australia.

Average entry-level cost of a child's sport is $1,161, according to Australian Sports Commission figures. A DemosAU survey found 42 per cent of parents said their children play less sport than they would like.

The players

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister of Australia, leading the federal government that introduced the under-16 social media ban.

Australian Sports Commission

The Australian Sports Commission is the federal agency that conducts the AusPlay survey measuring sport and physical activity participation across Australia.

The details

Five million underage social media accounts have been deactivated or removed. Participation edged down among children aged five to eight from 82.3 per cent to 82.2 per cent, while rates rose for children aged nine to 11 and 12 to 14.

2024-25: Prior-year child sport participation baseline recorded.
2025-26: Latest AusPlay survey period for child sport participation.
May 2026: Compare Club survey found families cutting children's sport.

Policy Check

The social media ban is being judged against its claimed side benefits, and early AusPlay data shows children's sport participation slipping slightly rather than rising. Cost pressures identified in the DemosAU survey suggest the policy addresses a different barrier to activity than the one families report.

Families weighing sport fees against other costs may find the $1,161 average entry-level price a practical budgeting reference. Parents of younger children should note the slight dip in the zero to four age group when planning activities.

The takeaway

Participation is shaped more by affordability than by screen access alone, so families looking to get children active may find cost-friendly local clubs and community programs the most direct route.