Health, wealth and happiness - the £123bn value of activity

The latest figures come from the second year of our social value model, which also shows a potential extra £20 billion of social value available by tackling inequalities. 

Community sport and physical activity generated an estimated £122.9 billion in ‘social value’ across England in 2023/24, our new research has revealed.

Published today, the latest social value model – now in its second year of reporting – highlights the critical role of sport and physical activity in improving wellbeing, reducing healthcare costs and boosting the economy.

The key findings from this year's report show that:

• nearly £6bn is saved in productivity gains from a healthier workforce taking fewer sick days 
• active lifestyles prevent more than 3.3 million cases of chronic health conditions a year - including 1.3m cases of depression, 900,000 cases of back pain and 700,000 cases of type 2 diabetes
• £14bn in tax revenue is generated – a return of approximately 6-7 times the public investment in sport and physical activity
• there's £8bn in direct net savings to the healthcare system through illness prevention, reducing pressure on the NHS
• community sport and physical activity deliver a £36.2bn boost to the economy through Gross Value Added (GVA) – the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy – and job creation
• for every £1 invested in community sport and physical activity, £4.38 is generated for economy and society – up from £4.20 in 2022/23.

Through in-depth analysis of Active Lives data, plus reviewing wider evidence for the health benefits of being active (including the costs associated with the treatment and care of illness and poor health), the research reveals the profound social and economic benefits of sport and physical activity for communities across England. 

Sport England undertook the research in partnership with social value advisors State of Life, Sheffield Hallam University and Manchester Metropolitan University, and you can download a report summarising the findings below or on a dedicated social value webpage.