The table illustrates the percentage of UK residents interested in named sports (football, rugby, golf, cricket, judo, and swimming) in 1990, 2000, and 2010. Overall, the proportion of residents interested in football, golf, and judo experienced a downward trend, while that of local people interested in rugby, cricket, and swimming increased noticeably throughout the period. It is also clear that the majority of UK residents are keen on playing rugby.
Looking first at the highest numbers, the proportion of residents who are interested in rugby and cricket stood at 12%, whereas that of individuals who like doing swimming was 15% in the first decade (1990). By 2000, the proportions of residents interested in rugby had increased considerably to 20%, while that of people who like playing cricket remained virtually unchanged. By contrast, the share of UK residents interested in swimming rose notably to 18%. The proportion of residents who like playing rugby and cricket increased slightly to 24% and 14%, respectively, in 2010, whereas that of local people interested in swimming dropped slightly to 16%.
Turning to the remaining categories, that of residents interested in football came in at 59% in 1990, which was recorded as the highest figure in the table, whereas that of individuals who like playing golf was 28% in both years 1990 and 2000. By 2000, the proportion of local people who are interested in football had declined slightly to 57%, a figure that then fell further to 56% in 2010, whereas that of people interested in golf decreased slightly to 26%. In contrast, that of UK residents interested in judo stood at 9% in the first year, a figure that then fell markedly to 5% before declining further to 4% in the last year.