Nine in ten adults engage with culture, arts and heritage
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for Communities present findings on adult participation in culture, arts, heritage and sport in Northern Ireland for the 2024/25 financial year.
Key findings
Culture, arts and heritage:
- 88% of adults engaged in culture, arts and heritage at least once in the year, similar to 2023/24.
- 82% of adults had engaged with the arts; 30% of adults had participated in an arts activity and 79% of adults had attended at least one arts event.
- Just over two-fifths of adults (42%) had visited a museum or science centre.
- 64% of adults in Northern Ireland had visited a place of historic interest.
Sport participation:
- Just over half of all adults (51%) had participated in sport within the last year, unchanged from 2023/24.
- Males were more likely to have participated in sport within the last year compared to females (59% and 43%, respectively).
- Around seven in every ten adults who had participated in sport or physical activity over the last year cited ‘improved physical health’ (73%), ‘keep fit’ (72%) and ‘improved mental health’ (69%) as benefits.
About this publication
These bulletins provide summary statistical information on experience of culture, arts, heritage and sports among adults in Northern Ireland.
For experience of sports, analysis is provided on the following topics:
- sport participation
- types of sport
- sports club membership
For experience of culture, arts and heritage, analysis is provided on the following topics:
- participation in arts activities and attendance at arts events
- use of the public library service
- visited a museum or science centre
- use of PRONI services
- visited a place of historic interest
Further information
Read the full reports:
Experience of sport by adults in Northern Ireland
Experience of culture, arts and heritage by adults in Northern Ireland
View background information and data tables: