Where Soccer Is Getting Women Onside

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 kicked off today in Australia and New Zealand. Co-host New Zealand won 1-0 to Norway, having played the opening Group A match in Eden Park, Auckland, while Australia won 1-0 against Ireland in Stadium Australia, Sydney in the first Group B match. The United States is favored to win overall, having taken the top place in the two past Women’s World Cups.

In light of the major sporting event, the following chart takes a look at female participation in soccer among the general population around the world. According to Statista’s Global Consumer Insights survey, soccer is particularly popular among women in Mexico, where 22 percent of female respondents aged 18-64 years old said they participated in it at least occasionally. Brazil, another nation famed for its world class soccer, also reflected a comparatively high share of participation (17 percent). The figures were even higher among men in these two countries, at 58 percent and 66 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, in Europe, participation was marginally higher in the United Kingdom for women than Spain, France, Germany and Italy.