The table illustrates the number of Australians participating in various sports during 8 years, starting from 2001. In addition, it also presents the percentage change.
It is evident that three types of sports including running, aerobics, and tennis describe an upward trend. Meanwhile, the opposite was true for cycling and swimming.
In 2001, the participation in running stood at 1.4 million, then its data increased slightly to 1.7 million 4 years later. By 2009, there was a rapid rise to 2.2 million. Notably, the percentage change in running was the highest, standing at 156%. Additionally, the popularity of aerobics and tennis witnessed an equivalent growth. In particular, during 4 years from 2005, running participants rose slowly from 1.7 million to 2.2 million and tennis climbed from 1.6 million to 1.7 million, corresponding to increases of 11% and 15%, respectively.
Surprisingly, cycling was the most popular activity, which attracted 4.5 million participants in 2001, before dropping down to 3.6 million by 2009, making a 20% fall. Similarly, swimming’s popularity also saw a downturn, declining 0.4 million from an initial 3.7 million, with a change of -10%.