UEFA EURO 2028 – impacts and legacy: Fairer Scotland Duty assessment

Summary of evidence

Evidence gathered during the assessment demonstrates socio‑economic inequalities in sport participation, physical activity, community cohesion, and access to opportunity in Scotland. Desktop research, analytical input, and evidence from partners revealed that people living in the most deprived areas are significantly less likely to be physically active, much more likely to be inactive for most of the week, and less likely to take part in organised sport or club activity. Participation is patterned strongly by income, education, and neighbourhood disadvantage. For example, evidence from SportScotland shows, people in the most deprived areas are far less likely to participate in clubs (9%) or high‑performance pathways, while 43% of high‑performance athletes come from the most affluent areas. These inequalities are not explained by motivation or interest: research from the Observatory for Sport in Scotland found that family income is the main factor determining participation rates, not attitude or desire. Cost barriers, including equipment, travel, membership fees, and childcare, are pronounced across low‑income groups, and particularly affect women, disabled people, and people with no or low wealth.

The evidence stage also highlighted significant disparities in social connectedness, which relate to inequalities in outcomes the programme seeks to address. People in more deprived areas report lower levels of neighbourhood belonging, weaker social ties, lower perceptions of safety, and reduced engagement in community improvement activities, according to Scottish Household Survey data. They are also less likely to volunteer, which contributes to lower community resilience and fewer opportunities for social participation. These conditions reinforce cycles of socio‑economic disadvantage and reduce the likelihood that people will engage in sport or community programmes without targeted support. Evidence on young people further demonstrates inequalities: girls aged 13–15 show the lowest adherence to physical activity guidelines, and overall activity levels decline sharply among adolescents from lower‑income households.

Existing initiatives such as the Extra Time and Fit and Fed programmes provide further evidence that interventions removing financial and practical barriers, such as free access, food provision, and equipment support, can meaningfully increase participation and reduce isolation. The assessment also identified evidence gaps: cross‑sectional socio‑economic data across all protected characteristics is limited, and additional bespoke data collection for this programme was deemed disproportionate. Despite these limitations, analysts confirmed that available evidence was sufficiently comprehensive to inform programme design.

Overall, the evidence clearly showed that socio‑economic disadvantage is associated with poorer outcomes in physical activity, sport participation, community cohesion, and access to opportunity, directly shaping the strategic priorities of the EURO 2028 impact and legacy programme.