Islamabad: Sports preferences in Pakistan remain highly concentrated around cricket, while a substantial portion of the population reports no engagement with sports at all.
According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, 34% of Pakistanis identify cricket as the sport they are most passionate about, while 42% report no interest in any sport, indicating low overall engagement despite strong preference for a single sport.
In practical terms, this means that while cricket dominates as Pakistan's most popular sport, less than half of the population expresses passion for any sport, highlighting a significant gap in overall sports engagement. Cricket dominates, all other sports trail far behind.
The analysis shows a highly skewed distribution of sports preferences. According to the survey: Cricket: 34%; Football: 6%; Hockey: 3%; Kabaddi: 3%; Basketball: 2%; Boxing: 2%; Squash: 1%. Tennis and Athletics: less than 1% each. This indicates that cricket stands far ahead of all other sports, with no other sport crossing even the 10% mark.
Large Share of Population Reports No Interest in Sports. A key finding of the survey is the high proportion of Pakistanis who are not engaged with sports. According to the data: No interest in any sport: 42%; Other sports: 3%; Don't Know/No Response: 5%
This suggests that a larger share of the population is disengaged from sports than actively passionate about any single sport, including cricket. Limited Diversity in Sports Engagement. The findings highlight not only low engagement levels but also limited diversity in sports interest.
While cricket commands strong loyalty, other sports collectively attract relatively small segments of the population, indicating a narrow sports culture centered around a single dominant game.
Taken together, the results suggest that Pakistan's sports landscape is both highly concentrated and relatively low in overall participation. The dominance of cricket alongside a large disengaged population points toward opportunities for broadening sports culture, promoting diverse sports, and increasing participation at the grassroots level.