The bar chart compares the percentages of people in the UK who expressed interest in six different sports in 1995, 2000 and 2005.
Overall, football was by far the most popular sport throughout the period, and its popularity increased steadily. By contrast, interest in snooker and tennis generally declined. Swimming experienced a notable rise in 2000 before falling slightly in 2005, while rugby became considerably more popular by the end of the period.
In 1995, around 40% of respondents were interested in football, which was substantially higher than the figures for the other sports. Snooker and tennis followed at approximately 32% and 30% respectively. Rugby attracted just over a quarter of respondents, while swimming and golf were the least popular, both at about 25%.
By 2000, football had risen marginally to roughly 42%. Swimming also increased significantly, reaching just above 30%, making it the second most popular sport that year. In contrast, rugby fell to around 22%, and interest in both snooker and tennis dropped to approximately 23% and 25% respectively. Golf saw a slight increase to about 27%.
In 2005, football peaked at roughly 45%, maintaining its dominant position. Rugby rebounded sharply to around 30%, overtaking several other sports. Swimming declined moderately to about 28%, whereas snooker and tennis remained relatively low at around one quarter of respondents. Golf changed very little over the period overall.