Insee Première · February 2025 · n° 2041

Sports facilities: a diverse and contrasting offer in urban areas, extended access times in rural areas

In 2023, 182,700 sports facilities were recorded in France, excluding natural sports facilities. Small outdoor courts, such as the ones used for basketball and handball, were the most prevalent. In urban areas, sports facilities were more diverse both in quantity and variety, while the offer was limited in the rural zones. In cities, sports halls, gymnasiums, and small outdoor courts were proportionally the most prevalent per capita. Conversely, rural areas were dominated by large outdoor fields for sports like football and rugby, as well as tennis complexes.

On average, it took 5 minutes by car to reach the most common sports facilities. However, these average access times increased as we moved further away from urban centers and could be more than three times higher for swimming pools and fitness centers. Residents with the longest travel times to these facilities predominantly lived in mountainous regions and along the diagonal with low population density, from the Vosges to the Pyrenees.