Social Return on Investment (SROI) Report
Social Return on Investment (SROI) Report
of Recreational Physical Activity in Aotearoa New Zealand
Sport NZ commissioned the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of Recreational Physical Activity in Aotearoa New Zealand study to better understand, demonstrate, and communicate the contribution of recreational physical activity to the wellbeing of people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. This includes understanding the value to Māori participating as Māori, explored within a Te Ao Māori worldview.
This study was undertaken as part of a work programme to better:
- advocate for the benefits of play, active recreation and sport
- demonstrate the return that we get for our investment into the play, active recreation and sport system
- learn and inform Sport NZ and the sector’s future decisions.
The results of this study build on progress that Sport NZ have made in understanding the sector’s contribution to wellbeing through the Sport NZ Outcomes Framework, which is a central component of Sport NZ’s 2020-2032 Strategic Direction.
The study demonstrates that recreational physical activity generates significant value for society across multiple wellbeing domains and outcomes.
The study found that for every $1 spent, there was a social return of $2.12 to New Zealand, meaning that the value of the wellbeing outcomes for New Zealand is greater than the costs of providing these opportunities, making recreational physical activity a potentially cost-effective investment.
This is likely to be a conservative figure as this does not include Māori outcomes, which were deliberately not monetised.
Māori aspirations are derived from an accumulation of heritage including knowledge systems, values and beliefs, and their manifestations in objects, practices and concepts – all of which have an innate life force or mana. It was agreed these outcomes must therefore be treated accordingly, and not be measured for their contributions to economic expenditure or production as part of the national SROI. These outcomes are additional to the health and exercise benefits noted for all participants in the SROI.
The study demonstrates that recreational physical activity generates significant value for society across multiple wellbeing domains and outcomes.
Key takeaways
Read the 12 main insights from the study.
Social value and contribution to wellbeing - using the research
The SROI study is part of a bigger body of work being undertaken by Sport NZ to understand social value and contribution to wellbeing and to support the sector
Find out more about the SROI and social value and contribution to wellbeing and how the sector can use this research to advocate for the value of sport and recreation.
