Youth Sport Trust Girls Active 2025 Research find girls faced with multiple characteristics of inequality less active, less confident, less engaged in PE and physical activity.
Loughborough, 9th October 2025 – Ahead of International Day of the Girl on 11th October, new data from the Youth Sport Trust’s annual Girls Active Survey has found that girls with multiple characteristics of inequality are being left behind in PE and school sport.
The survey reveals that girls with two or more characteristics of inequality, such as being from a low-income family, a non-majority ethnicity, or having Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)1, are significantly more likely to not be active every day, not feel confident doing physical activity and less likely to like PE than those without.
The Youth Sport Trust Girls Active survey, which received responses from 17,971 young people across a total of 137 schools in England this year, explores young people’s experiences, perceptions and engagement in PE and school sport.
This year the report has taken a closer look at the experiences of girls with additional characteristics of inequality to see how their lived experience differs from girls without these characteristics.
Gender alone is already a significant barrier to activity, with the Sport England Active Lives Children and Young People survey findings showing that only 45% of 5-18 year old girls are meeting recommended activity levels in comparison to 51% of boys.
The Girls Active survey found that girls are twice as likely as boys to not like taking part in physical activity, and, even worse, girls are nearly 4 times as likely to not feel confident in and not like taking part in PE at school than boys.
The gap between girls’ and boys’ enjoyment of and participation in PE is one reason Sport England identifies gender as a ‘characteristic of inequality’ in physical activity2. For girls, who already face gender as a barrier, additional inequalities could mean they are even less likely to be active, confident, or enjoy PE.
The insight from the Girls Active survey shows that girls with 2 or more characteristics of inequality, such as being from a non-majority ethnicity, a low-income family and/or having SEND, compared with girls with none of these characteristics, are:
· 1.6 times more likely to not like taking part in physical activity
· 1.3 times more likely to not like taking part in PE
· 1.3 times more likely to not feel confident when doing physical activity.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, they are then half as likely to do physical activity every day than girls without additional characteristics of inequality.
Beyond PE and physical activity, this gap also shows up in girls’ overall wellbeing. They are 1.4 times more likely to not be happy, 1.5 times more likely to not feel resilient and 1.3 times more likely to feel that they don’t belong to their school.
Read the full report here.
Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust CEO said: “These findings shine a light on the reality that too many girls, particularly those with multiple inequalities, are being left behind in PE and sport. Gender is already a barrier, but when combined with other factors such as income, ethnicity or disability, the impact on girls’ confidence, enjoyment and wellbeing is even greater. We cannot let this and subsequent generations believe that the opportunities to be active and healthy are determined by background or circumstance. Through Girls Active, we are working with schools to break down these barriers, give girls a voice, and create inclusive environments where every girl can find joy and confidence in being active.”
Shaunagh Brown, former England rugby player and Youth Sport Trust Girls Champion said: “Every girl deserves the chance to find the sport that’s right for her, not just for physical health, but for the confidence it builds, the friendships it creates, and the sense of belonging it brings. My own career journey was slightly unconventional, and it showed me that there isn’t one right way to get involved in sport. What holds many girls back isn’t a lack of passion or ability, but the barriers around them that make it harder to take part or feel like they belong. When we remove those barriers, we open the door for girls to step in, embrace those benefits, and discover their true potential.”
The Youth Sport Trust’s Girls Active programme empowers girls from all backgrounds to influence PE, sport and physical activity in their school, from the kit they wear to the activities they participate in. Through tackling stereotypes, building confidence and creating inclusive school cultures, the Youth Sport Trust aims to help improve girls’ access to and engagement with sport, with the aim of reversing the current statistics around participation.
Read more about how involvement in the programme for schools like Djanogly City Academy, Kenton School, and Mulberry Stepney Green has led to increased engagement, confidence, and enjoyment for female students as examples of how student-led initiatives can help create more inclusive and motivating environments for girls to be active.
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