Children’s club participation in Denmark varies sharply from one municipality to another, according to new research from the University of Southern Denmark (Syddansk Universitet). In Allerød Municipality, 82 percent of children aged 3 to 14 take part in an organised club or association at least once a month, compared with just 58 percent in Brøndby.
The figures come from Danmark i Bevægelse, a research project at the University of Southern Denmark, which has published 98 municipal reports, one for each Danish municipality. The researchers say socioeconomic conditions are closely associated with the differences, alongside the strength of local civil society and access to appropriate facilities.
Children’s club participation ranges from 58 to 82 percent
Across Denmark, 73 percent of children aged 3 to 14 participate in an association at least once a month.
The national average, however, conceals considerable geographical differences. Participation exceeds 80 percent in Allerød, Rebild, Varde and Ringkøbing-Skjern. At the other end of the scale, fewer than 65 percent of children participate in Brøndby, Glostrup, Høje-Taastrup, Lolland, Ishøj and Næstved.
The municipal reports are based on responses concerning almost 55,000 children aged 3 to 14, collected across Denmark in autumn 2025. Around 180,000 children were invited to participate through their parents, giving the survey a response rate of about 27 percent.
The study forms part of Danmark i Bevægelse 2025, a large population survey examining physical activity in leisure time, schools and childcare, transport and the home.
Socioeconomic conditions are linked to participation
The researchers identify a clear relationship between socioeconomic conditions and participation in organised activities.
Education, household finances and ethnicity are among the factors associated with whether children participate in a club or association. Participation is lowest in metropolitan and provincial urban municipalities with a low socioeconomic index, according to project manager and sports researcher (idrætsforsker) Jens Høyer-Kruse.
“Living conditions give children very different starting points for living an active life,” Høyer-Kruse said when presenting the findings.
The study does not establish that these factors directly cause differences in participation. However, the researchers say economic resources can create practical barriers. Across age groups, 11 percent of children encounter obstacles related to the cost of membership fees or equipment.
Other barriers vary with age. Among children aged three to five, 20 percent of parents report inconvenient activity schedules as a barrier, while 16 percent cite tiredness. Among six to eleven-year-olds, screen-based activities are reported as a barrier for 14 percent.
Local conditions also matter. Høyer-Kruse told DR that participation depends partly on whether municipalities have a strong civil society and suitable facilities for organised activities.
Nine to eleven-year-olds participate the most
Association participation is particularly common among children aged nine to eleven, with just over 81 percent taking part at least once a month.
Among 12 to 14-year-olds, the proportion falls to 71 percent. At the same time, commercial activities become more common: 16 percent of children in this age group participate in commercial sports or leisure activities.
According to the researchers, this increase is partly driven by girls moving into commercial dance activities and by more boys starting fitness training.
Football is the most common organised activity
Football is the most widespread association-based activity among Danish children, with 27.5 percent of 3 to 14-year-olds playing at least once a month.
It is followed by gymnastics at 22.7 percent, swimming at 18.1 percent, handball at 10.1 percent and scouting or FDF at 7.3 percent.
The popularity of individual activities also varies considerably between municipalities.
Football is particularly widespread in Ringkøbing-Skjern, Rebild, Lemvig and Jammerbugt, where between 36 and 39 percent of children play through a club. Gymnastics reaches between 39 and 41 percent in Varde, Ringkøbing-Skjern and Lemvig, while Furesø has Denmark’s highest reported share of children participating in swimming, at 36 percent.
On Mors, 25 percent of children take part in handball at least once a month. Scouting and FDF are most widespread in Lemvig, Thisted and Struer, where participation reaches between 12 and 13 percent.
Club membership and physical activity are not the same
The research also shows that high participation in clubs does not necessarily mean that children are more physically active overall.
Across Denmark, 27 percent of children aged 3 to 14 meet the Danish Health Authority’s recommendation of at least one hour of physical activity a day, although the recommendation formally applies from the age of five.
More than 30 percent meet the recommendation in several municipalities around Copenhagen, including Dragør, Rudersdal, Furesø, Ballerup and Hørsholm, as well as Copenhagen itself. In Skive, Struer, Kalundborg, Faxe and Frederikshavn, the figure ranges from 20 to 23 percent.
The distinction is important because the municipal differences are not simply a measure of how much children exercise. They also provide a picture of how evenly children have access to Denmark’s traditionally strong network of sports clubs, scouts and other voluntary associations.
The new figures therefore point to a broader divide in Danish childhood. Organised leisure activities remain widespread across the country, but the likelihood of taking part differs substantially depending on children’s socioeconomic circumstances and the communities in which they grow up.
