The Fifth National Survey Of Sports Facilities In China

Tuesday 18 October, 2005

Work for the Fifth National Survey of Sports Facilities in China has just come to a close.

The Survey is a massive endeavour jointly conducted by the General Administration of Sports, the National Bureau of Statistics, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, the All China Federation of Trade Unions, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Culture, and employing over 260 thousand people.

The first National Sports Facilities Survey was conducted in 1974, and is repeated every 8 years. The aim of the survey is to conduct a comprehensive survey of all existing sports facilities in China, covering the following areas: facility ownership, investment, and usage. The survey will provide the Chinese government with a clear picture of development patterns in the sports facilities industry in China.

Details of survey results will be showcased and analysed at the International Sports Facilities Expo – China 2005 (www.csiibeijing.com/ifse/index1.html).

According to Mr Feng Jianzhong, Assistant to the Minister of Sports and Vice President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, results of the Fifth National Survey show that the sports facilities industry has grown exponentially in the past eight years since the last survey. Statistics gathered during the survey show that the amount of sports facilities has seen an average growth of 20% every year between the Fourth National Survey in 1996 and the Fifth National survey completed in 2004. Figures also show that there has been an increase of 377% in sports facilities investment in the last 8 years.

Mr Feng Jianzhong is also the Director of the organising committee for the International Sports Facilities Expo.

According to the survey, there are currently 850,080 sports facilities in China. These can be separated into two main categories: standard sports facilities, and non-standard facilities.

Of the total sports facilities, 64% of facilities fit basic requirements for training and competition. This group of facilities are referred to in the survey as “standard facilities” and include large scale stadiums and arenas (including swimming centres, indoor pools, sports centres and basketball courts, and outdoor pools, basketball courts football pitches, sports grounds and tennis courts.

The “standard facilities” represent the most significant portion of the sports facilities market in China, and it is government’s wish that the International Sports Facilities Expo – China 2005 become an annual platform to boost the exchange of ideas, technology, and business activity between the Chinese domestic market and international businesses and industry groups.

Photo:Matthew Vasilescu