The Most Popular Sports in Australia (Top 10 Ranked)

Football (Soccer) leads Australia in 2024, ahead of Basketball and Netball. Ranking of 10 sports.

This page ranks the sports of Australia by the evidence behind each one, because australian national sporting organisations report participation using different measures (federation-wide participation, club registration, or AusPlay survey estimates) and no single agency publishes one directly comparable figure across all sports, so each rank rests on the sourced participation evidence documented for that sport rather than one shared unit. The figures come from Various national sporting organisations and the Australian Sports Commission AusPlay survey (see individual sources per row).

Football (Soccer) is on top, followed by Basketball and Netball. The full table below covers 10 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in Australia

The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The reference year is 2025.

#	Sport	Basis for the placing
1	Football (Soccer)	Total participation: Increased by 11% to 1,911,539 participants.
2	Basketball	Basketball now ranks as Australia’s second most popular team sport with 1.3 million participants
3	Netball	Recent data released by the Australian Sports Commission, collected between July 2022 and June 2023, indicated 1,017,000 people are playing netball.
4	Australian Rules Football (AFL)	Aussie Rules footy has reaffirmed its place as Australia’s game, with national participation reaching a record-breaking 625,000 participants in 2025.
5	Cricket	total registered participation increasing from 539,424 in 2020-21 to 598,931 in 2021-22 (up 11 per cent)
6	Golf	Traditional golf club membership grew strongly, rising to 477,220 members nationwide, marking the fifth consecutive year of membership growth and a remarkable 24.1 per cent increas
7	Surf Lifesaving	With 198,916 members of all ages and demographics across 315 affiliated Surf Life Saving Clubs (SLSCs)
8	Squash	The data confirms that organised squash participation currently sits just under 0.5 percent, which equates to approximately 102,337 Australians aged 15 and over.
9	Hockey	As of 31 October, 90,884 people in Australia had signed up to play club hockey in 2021.
10	Little Athletics	more than 90,000 participants to learn skills, make friends and have fun

Most Played and Most Watched Are Not the Same Sport

Membership and license numbers tell you what people do. Audience figures tell you what they watch, and the two lists rarely have the same sport on top.

Sport	Figure	What it measures
Australian Rules Football (AFL)	100,013	The 2024 AFL Grand Final between Brisbane and Sydney drew a crowd of 100,013 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the largest attendance on record for a Grand Final between two non-Victorian clubs.
Tennis	1,218,831	The Australian Open 2025 set a new attendance record, with over 1.2 million fans attending across the tournament.
Horse racing	91,168	The 2024 Lexus Melbourne Cup drew a crowd of 91,168 at Flemington Racecourse.

Is There a National Sport of Australia?

Australia has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. Australia has no sport designated as the official national sport by law or government decree.

Cricket. Cricket Australia describes cricket as the country’s national sport.
Australian Rules Football (AFL). The Australian Football League describes Aussie rules as Australia’s game.

Sports That Were Invented in Australia

Australian Rules Football. Australian rules football originated in Melbourne in 1858, making it one of the sports that began in Australia.
Surf Lifesaving. Organized surf lifesaving began in Australia in the early twentieth century, with the New South Wales Surf Bathing Association formed in 1907.

#1 Football (Soccer)

Governing body: Football Australia
Top national league: A-League

Football, commonly called soccer in Australia, recorded 1,911,539 participants in 2024, according to Football Australia’s national participation report. The federation reported that total participation increased by 11 percent that year.

Participation spans outdoor club competitions, social formats, and school programs across the country. The domestic top flight for the sport is the A-League, which runs alongside state and community competitions that feed into the national participation count.

#2 Basketball

Governing body: Basketball Australia
Top national league: NBL (National Basketball League)

Basketball drew approximately 1.3 million participants across Australia, based on Australian Sports Commission AusPlay data reported by Basketball Australia’s media channel in 2025. The figure placed basketball as the country’s second most popular team sport by participation.

Play takes place in indoor stadiums and community courts nationwide, from junior development programs to senior competitions. The National Basketball League, known as the NBL, is the sport’s leading professional competition in the country.

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#3 Netball

Governing body: Netball Australia
Top national league: Super Netball

Netball participation reached 1,017,000 people in Australia, according to Australian Sports Commission data covering the period from July 2022 to June 2023 and reported by Netball NSW. The figure marked a continued rise in participation for the sport.

The sport is played predominantly by women and girls across school, club, and community competitions nationwide. Super Netball is the sport’s top domestic league, featuring teams from across the country.

#4 Australian Rules Football (AFL)

Governing body: Australian Football League
Top national league: AFL (Australian Football League)

Australian rules football, known as AFL, reached a record 625,000 participants nationally in 2025, according to the Australian Football League’s own reporting. The league described the result as reaffirming the sport’s place as Australia’s game.

The count includes community football at junior, youth, and senior levels along with modified formats for children. The Australian Football League itself operates the sport’s top professional competition.

#5 Cricket

Governing body: Cricket Australia
Top national league: Big Bash League

Cricket Australia’s census recorded 598,931 total registered participants for the 2021-22 season, up from 539,424 the previous year, an increase of 11 percent. The census covers organized club and program participation across the country.

The sport features a Twenty20 domestic competition called the Big Bash League alongside traditional first class and one day cricket. Participation spans junior programs, club cricket, and school competitions nationwide.

#6 Golf

Governing body: Golf Australia

Traditional golf club membership in Australia rose to 477,220 members nationwide in the 2024/25 season, according to Golf Australia’s participation reporting. The figure marked the fifth consecutive year of membership growth for the sport.

Golf is played across thousands of courses, driving ranges, and practice facilities throughout the country. The membership figure counts golfers formally registered with traditional golf clubs rather than casual or social players.

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#7 Surf Lifesaving

Governing body: Surf Life Saving Australia

Surf Life Saving Australia reported 198,916 members across 315 affiliated surf lifesaving clubs for the 2023-24 year, according to its annual report. Members range across age groups and take part in patrol, competition, and community activities.

The organization combines volunteer beach safety patrols with a competitive sport program held at clubs along the Australian coastline. Its membership count reflects both patrolling members and those who take part primarily in surf sports competition.

#8 Squash

Governing body: Squash Australia

Organized squash participation in Australia equated to approximately 102,337 people aged 15 and over, based on Australian Sports Commission AusPlay data reported by Squash Australia. The figure represented just under 0.5 percent of the surveyed population.

Squash is played at dedicated courts operated by clubs and leisure centers across the country. Squash Australia noted the data pointed to steady participation growth for the sport going forward.

Latest Posts about Squash

#9 Hockey

Governing body: Hockey Australia
Top national league: Hockey One League

Hockey Australia reported that 90,884 people had signed up to play club hockey nationally as of 31 October 2021. A third of that total were new players.

The sport is played on grass and synthetic pitches through club, school, and representative competitions across the states and territories. Hockey Australia’s registration count reflects players signed up for organized club competition.

Latest Posts about Field Hockey

#10 Little Athletics

Governing body: Australian Athletics

More than 90,000 children took part in Little Athletics programs across Australia, according to Australian Athletics, the sport’s national governing body, in a 2026 report on the organization’s unification with Little Athletics Australia.

Little Athletics offers modified track and field competition for children through centers and clubs in every state and territory. The programs serve as an entry point into the broader sport of athletics in the country.

Sources

Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.

FAQ

What is the most popular sport in Australia?

By participation, football (soccer) is Australia’s most popular sport, with 1,911,539 participants recorded by Football Australia in 2024. Basketball and netball follow, with roughly 1.3 million and 1,017,000 participants respectively.

What was the number 1 sport in Australia?

There is no legally designated number one sport in Australia. Cricket describes itself as the country’s national sport, while football recorded the highest participation of any sport in 2024, with 1,911,539 participants.

What are the most popular sports in Australia?

The sports with the highest recorded participation in Australia include football with 1,911,539 participants in 2024, basketball with about 1.3 million participants, netball with 1,017,000 participants in 2022-23, and Australian rules football with 625,000 participants in 2025.

What are the biggest sports in Australia?

By attendance, the 2024 AFL Grand Final drew 100,013 fans to the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Australian Open 2025 attracted 1,218,831 fans across the tournament. By participation, football leads with 1,911,539 people playing in 2024.

What sports are famous in Australia?

Australian rules football and cricket are especially closely tied to Australian identity. Australian rules football originated in Melbourne in 1858, and cricket describes itself as the country’s national sport. Football has the largest participation base, with 1,911,539 players in 2024.