Islamabad: A recent survey has revealed that a significant majority of Pakistanis remain inactive in sports, with cricket standing as the most favored sport among the minority who do participate. According to the data, 67% of the population did not engage in any sports activities over the past year.

According to Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, the survey showed that cricket is the leading sport for the 16% of Pakistanis who were active in sports over the past year. The survey collected responses from a nationally representative sample of 787 adults through telephonic surveys conducted across urban and rural areas of the country. Conducted in January and February 2026, the survey aimed to gauge the level of sports participation among Pakistanis.

The results indicate that of those who did engage in sports, 14% reported playing a sport the day before their participation in the survey, while 24% had played within the last six months. Besides cricket, 5% of respondents played volleyball, 4% football, 2% badminton, and 1% hockey, with less than 1% participating in tennis. Additionally, 7% of respondents were uncertain or chose not to respond.

These findings underscore the limited engagement in sports across Pakistan, with cricket maintaining its status as the most popular sport. The survey, conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, a local affiliate of Gallup International, utilized computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) to ensure an estimated error margin of ± 2-3 percent at a 95% confidence level.