The bar chart compares the rate of participation in top ten most popular sports in Canada in 1998 and 2005. Overall, there was a decrease in all sports categories, with the exception of soccer. Notably, golf showed consistently higher levels of participation during the period, whereas cycling was the least popular.
In 1998, the proportion of engagement in sports in Canada was distributed as follows: golf accounted for the largest share, representing 22%. Ice hockey followed closely behind with 18%. 13% of people opted for swimming in 1998, while 16% for baseball. Notably, there was a small difference of only 1 percentage point between the participation rate in basketball (9%) and soccer (8%). Additionally, participation related to downhill/alpine skiing and tennis shared the same figure, each comprising just 7%. Lastly, cycling and volleyball were at 6% and 8%, respectively.
By 2005, the proportions in the mix had changed noticeably. The percentage disparity between the two top sports narrowed down, with the level of participation in ice hockey decreasing to 17% and that of golf decreasing to 20%. The degree of participation in swimming and baseball fell significantly to 11% and 7%, respectively. Interestingly, there was a one-percentage-point drop in the participation rate in cycling, downhill/alpine skiing, and volleyball, all of which comprised the same 7%. Lastly, the rate of participation in basketball and tennis fell slightly to 8% and 6%, respectively. In contrast, soccer saw an increase of one percentage point.