Irish Youth record the highest participation in Sports Clubs in Eurobarometer Survey
By Aoileann Ní Bhroin
In a survey of European Youth (aged 15-30), when asked if they had participated in any of a range of activities in the last 12 months, 42% of Irish respondents said they had participated in sports clubs – the highest of all countries studied. Germany (40%) and the Netherlands (39%) are the next highest ranked.
The results are contained in the lastest Flash Eurobarometer which is designed to explore young EU citizens’ participation in a range of social aspects of European life, including voluntary activities, political elections, as well as groups and organisations such as youth or sports clubs. It follows on from previous surveys on this topic in February 2011, April 2013 and December 2014. This report also considers the views of young people on the priorities for the EU, and actions that should be prioritised in the future, based on the outcomes of the 2016 and 2017 debates carried out within the preparatory action “New Narrative for Europe”. This initiative aims to foster debate with young people at a grassroots level and collect fresh views about the EU’s current challenges, ways forward and the future of the European project. Only respondents aged 15-30 were interviewed for this survey.
Ireland (22%) and Italy (20%) are the only countries where at least one in five respondents has participated in an activity of a local organisation aimed at improving their local community, followed by 17% in Austria. At the other end of the scale, 4% in Cyprus and Estonia have been involved in this kind of organisation.
When asked which topics from a list of 8 should be a priority for the EU, 58% of Irish young people said “Education and Skills” (EU average 52%) with the “Protection of the Environment and the fight against climate change” scoring at 52% (EU average 50%).
Respondents in the United Kingdom (33%), Poland (32%) and Austria and Ireland (both 29%) are the most likely to mention freedom of movement, while those in France (10%), the Netherlands (11%) and Hungary (12%) are the least likely to do so.
Factsheet Ireland Eurobarometer 455
Flash Eurobarometer 455 - Report - European Youth; Fieldwork September 2017 Publication January 2018
