The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) released the first results from AusPlay on 8 December 2016 for data collected from October 2015 to September 2016. This release filled a major data gap for the sport sector, which had been without national participation estimates since 2014 when the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ceased all sport and recreation data collection.

From the second release onwards the ASC will follow a regular cycle of calendar and financial year reporting. The ASC has committed to report data every six months.

Release dates:

• Release 2: 26 April 2017 for data collected January 2016 – December 2016
• Release 3: 16 November 2017 for data collected July 2016 – June 2017
• Release 4: 30 April 2018 for data collected January 2017 – December 2017
• Release 5: 31 October 2018 for data collected July 2017 – June 2018
• Release 6: 30 April 2019 for data collected January 2018 – December 2018
• Release 7: 31 October 2019 for data collected July 2018 – June 2019
• Release 8: 30 April 2020 (re-issued 24 June 2020) for data collected January 2019 – December 2019
• Release 9: Results released on 30 October 2020 for data collected July 2019 – June 2020
• Release 10: Results released on 30 April 2021 for data collected January 2020 – December 2020
• Release 11: Results released on 29 October 2021 for data collected July 2020 – June 2021
• Release 12: Results released on 29 April 2022 for data collected January 2021 - December 2021
• Release 13: Results released on 31 October 2022 for data collected July 2021 – June 2022
• Release 14: Results released on 28 April 2023 for data collected January 2022 – December 2022
• Release 15: Results to be released in late October 2023 for data collected July 2022 – June 2023

The first three releases have overlapping data and therefore time series comparisons cannot be made. Time series comparisons are possible from release 4 onwards by using two discrete data collection periods e.g. the 2016 and 2017 calendar years. However, users of AusPlay data should also be aware of some methodological changes made to the survey in 2019 that may impact time series comparisons. Any comparison of results within AusPlay that cross the 1 July 2019 data collection point should take these methodological changes into account. More information about the changes is provided on the AusPlay methodology page.

A tool to test whether the difference between estimates is statistically significant is available for download below. If you have any questions about the tool or would like assistance with it please send an email to ausplay@ausport.gov.au.

• AusPlay Estimate Reliability Checker

The Australian Sports Commission is working closely with its stakeholders to make the most of the AusPlay results for the benefit of the sport sector and all Australians. AusPlay results are updated every six months.

Please note that the impact of the coronavirus on participation rates is still being revealed. The upcoming AusPlay release in October 2023 should round out the picture as the vast majority of participation by survey respondents in July 2022 to June 2023 will have been recalled after pandemic-related restrictions had ceased.

An online data portal has been developed by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) so that AusPlay users can view and interrogate the wealth of data from the survey in tabular format. The ASC updates all data in the portal every six months when new AusPlay results are released.

Please note, the AusPlay results are based on a sample and are therefore subject to sample error. Sample error is measured by the standard error and the margin of error. Knowledge of the standard error, or the margin of error, enables 95% confidence intervals to be constructed around survey results and also enables statistical significance testing to be carried out. In the portal any data with high error is marked as follows:

• Number in green = Data has relative margin of error between 50% and 100% and should be used with caution
• Number in red = Data has relative margin of error greater than 100% and is considered too unreliable to use

To calculate the exact size of the error, the 95% confidence interval or to conduct statistical significance testing, please download the AusPlay Estimate Reliability Checker below.

Online portal resources

• AusPlay Estimate Reliability Checker

If you have any questions about the online data portal, please contact the Insights team at the ASC via ausplay@ausport.gov.au.

A number of non-Australian Sports Commission researchers have published papers based on their own analyses of AusPlay raw data.

• Gender inclusive sporting environments: the proportion of women in non-player roles over recent years (2021), Eime, R., Charity, M., Foley, B.C. et al. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 13, 58
• Sport participation settings: where and ‘how’ do Australians play sport? (2020), Eime, R., Harvey, J. & Charity, M. BMC Public Health 20, 1344.
• Participation in physical activity by Australian adults with a disability (2019), Hassett, L., Cole, J., Shields, N., Sherrington, C.