The bar chart illustrates the proportion of participation in the ten most popular sports in Canada in 1998 and 2005. Overall, golf, ice hockey, and baseball recorded the highest participation rates in 1998 and 2005, with the exception of baseball, which experienced the largest decrease in the latter year.
As for the participation rate of tennis and alpine skiing, they stood at the same level (8%) in 1998; after that, the figures decreased to just above 5% and around 6%, respectively. In terms of cycling, it stood at around 7% in 1998 and dropped to around 6% in 2005. When it comes to volleyball and basketball, in 1998, the level of participation was at around 8% and 9%, in turn. After that, the figures decreased to about 7% and 8%, respectively, in 2005. Soccer, by contrast, was the only sport that experienced an upward trend. It increased minimally from around 9% to just under 10% over a seven-year period.
By contrast, swimming was one of the sports that experienced a dramatic decrease. It was at 17% at the beginning and dropped to just over 10% in 2005. Baseball, on the other hand, experienced the most significant drop on the chart, falling from 16% to 7%. Regarding ice hockey, there was very little change, as it stood at around 17% in 1998 and saw only a slight drop in 2005, while the proportion of golf players was the highest figure on the chart in both years. It stood at around 22% in 1998. Although it decreased to just over 20%, it remained in the same position on the chart.