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Outdoor
Participation Rate Reaches 48.8%
Participation
in outdoor recreation added two million people from 2015 to 2016
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Washington,
DC – August 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Nearly
half of all Americans over the age of six, or 48.8% of the US population,
participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2016. That equates
to a total of 144.4 million people – two million more people than participated
in 2015. These findings are part of the Outdoor Foundation’s recently-released
Outdoor
Recreation Participation Report, the leading report tracking American
participation trends in outdoor recreation with a focus on youth and diversity.
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 “The
Outdoor Foundation is encouraged that outdoor participation is increasing.
To ensure that participation in outdoor activities continues to grow and
that healthy, active communities thrive across the US, America’s young
people must continue to be engaged in outdoor recreation,” said Ivan Levin,
deputy director of The Outdoor Foundation. “Nationwide efforts to reconnect
youth to the outdoors are critical to reaching young people and improving
accessibility of outdoor recreation for all Americans.”
The
Outdoor Foundation’s annual Outdoor Recreation Participation Report
helps the outdoor industry, public agencies and community organizations
better understand the trends in outdoor recreation participation, enabling
groups to address Americans inactivity crisis and the disconnect between
children and the outdoors. The report is based on an online survey of more
than 20,000 Americans ages six and older and covers 114 different outdoor
activities, making it the largest survey of its kind.
Some
additional insights detailed in the 2017 Outdoor Recreation Participation
Report include:
-
While
10.6 million Americans returned to or started participating in one or more
of the outdoor activities measured, 8.6 million stopped. That equates to
a net gain of 2 million total participants and a churn rate of 6%.
Participants
went on a total of 11.0 billion outdoor outings in 2016, a decrease from
11.7 billion in 2015.
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21% of
outdoor enthusiasts participated in outdoor activities at least twice per
week.
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Running,
including jogging and trail running, was the most popular activity among
Americans when measured by both number of participants and by number of
total annual outings.
-
19% outdoor
participants lived in the South Atlantic region of the US, making its population
the most active in outdoor activities.
-
Walking
for fitness was, by far, the most popular crossover activity. 45% of all
outdoor participants also walked.
-
The biggest
motivator for outdoor participation was getting exercise.
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The participation
rate among males ages 6 to 12 and ages 13 to 17 increased by one percentage
point since last year to reach 65%. Participation among males ages 18 to
24 dropped by two percentage points to 54%.
-
Participation
among females experienced opposite results from 2015 to 2016. Participation
rates dropped by one percentage point among females ages 6 to 12 and ages
13 to 17. Young adults, ages 18 to 24, added 3 percentage points to reach
56%.
-
Data shows
that adults who were introduced to the outdoors as children were more likely
to participate in outdoor activities during adulthood than those who were
not exposed to the outdoors as children. In fact, 37% of adults who were
introduced to the outdoors during childhood grew up to enjoy outdoor activities
as adults. Only 16% of adults who do not currently participate in any outdoor
activities had outdoor experiences as children.
-
Participation
among Asians has increased by 1.2% over the past five years while Caucasian
participation has declined by 0.9%.
-
Black
and Hispanic participants went on the most average outings per participant.
-
Running
was the most popular outdoor activity for almost all ethnicities; however,
white participants participated in fishing at a higher rate than running.
To download
a complete copy of the 2017 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report,
visit The
Outdoor Foundation website.
About
the Outdoor Foundation & Outdoor Nation
The
Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring
and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through groundbreaking
research, action-oriented outreach and education programs, the Foundation
works with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans
to the great outdoors. In 2010, the Foundation launched Outdoor Nation,
a pioneering initiative that aims to empower young leaders to champion
the outdoors on campuses and in communities across the United States. For
more information visit: OutdoorIndustry.org/participation/outdoor-foundation
and OutdoorIndustry.org/outdoor-foundation-s-mission/outdoor-nation.
About
Outdoor Industry Association
Based
in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association
(OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the
title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA unites and serves over 1,200 manufacturers,
supplier, sales representative and retailer members through its focus on
trade and recreation policy, sustainable business innovation and outdoor
participation. For more information, visit www.OutdoorIndustry.org.
Contacts:
Amy
Roberts
Executive
Director
Outdoor
Industry Association
303-327-3501
Ivan
Levin
Deputy
Director
Outdoor
Foundation
540-818-5818 |
