Active NZ snapshots

Active NZ insights show opportunities to support participation.

New Active NZ snapshots provide fresh insight into how neurodivergent young people and new migrants keep active in Aotearoa New Zealand. The findings highlight that while participation levels can appear similar across some groups, experiences of being active differ significantly, particularly in relation to access, environments and barriers.

Key insights

Neurodivergent young people are almost twice as likely to be inactive and report more barriers to participation - including lower confidence and less supportive environments.
Young new migrants are less active overall, spending less time being active each week.
Participation in organised sport and club settings is lower for both groups.
Across all young people, motivations remain consistent, with fun, social connection and wellbeing driving participation.

Implications for the system

The findings point to a need to continue evolving the play, active recreation and sport system to ensure it is:

inclusive and accessible for a wider range of participants
responsive to different motivations and preferences
able to reduce barriers, such as cost, confidence and access.

The snapshots also highlight the importance of recognising that participation alone does not reflect the full experience of being active.

Looking ahead

These insights will inform how Sport NZ continues to design and deliver opportunities that better meet the needs of a changing population. There is a clear opportunity to build on what works well - while adapting approaches to ensure more young people can participate in ways that feel welcoming, relevant and sustainable.