SportSG’s latest quarter records 1,503,652 swimming-pool attendances, 1,340,889 gym attendances and 453,101 facility bookings in Q1 2026. Compared with Q1 2025, those totals rose 13.6%, 21.1% and 14.6% respectively, based on our calculation from the official dataset.
Start with the decision table
| Situation | What it means |
|---|---|
| Swimming-pool attendance | 1,503,652; up 13.6% year on year |
| Gym attendance | 1,340,889; up 21.1% year on year |
| Total bookings | 453,101; up 14.6% year on year |
| Badminton bookings | 227,669; up 6.3% year on year |
| Basketball bookings | 4,944; up 44.1% year on year |
| Football bookings | 8,220; down 13.8% year on year |
Attendances and bookings are different units
data.gov.sg SportSG quarterly facility dataset reports pool and gym use as attendances but court and field use as bookings. One booking can involve several people, and one person can generate several attendances. Do not add them into a single participation total.
The year-on-year comparison controls seasonality
We compared Q1 2026 with Q1 2025, not only with the previous quarter. Swimming rose from 1,323,521 to 1,503,652; gym use rose from 1,107,274 to 1,340,889; bookings rose from 395,477 to 453,101.
Large percentages can start from small bases
Basketball bookings rose 44.1% to 4,944 and volleyball 38.2% to 5,899, while badminton’s 6.3% rise added more bookings in absolute terms. Percentage and volume answer different planning questions.
Not every sport moved up
Football bookings fell 13.8% year on year to 8,220, tennis fell 2.5% to 51,758 and athletics fell 81.9% to 110. data.gov.sg SportSG API response supplies the source series; facility availability or classification changes require separate evidence before explaining causes.
The dataset supports demand questions, not quality claims
It does not show satisfaction, unique users, rejected booking attempts, capacity or neighbourhood access. A rising series can reflect demand, supply, reporting or all three. Treat explanations as hypotheses until another source tests them.
Worked application
Method: we downloaded all 15 series on 18 July 2026, parsed Q1 2026 and Q1 2025 as numbers, and calculated (new ÷ old − 1) × 100, rounded to one decimal. The retained API response is in the private run folder so every figure can be reproduced.
Action checklist
- Keep attendance and booking series separate
- Compare the same quarter year on year
- Show both percentage and absolute count
- Check the dataset update and unit
- Flag low-base percentage effects
- Do not infer causes from movement alone
- Retain the API response and formula
Build a decision record another person can check
The useful output is not only an answer to “Singapore sport facility usage Q1 2026”. It is a small file showing why the answer fits this reader: a resident, coach or community planner interested in how public sport facilities are being used. Record the fact that controls each step, the date it was true and the source or service that confirmed it. That matters because the task is to read the latest quarter without confusing bookings, attendances and capacity; a changed amount, date, person, address, venue, device or eligibility fact can change the result even when the general rule has not moved.
| # | Control | Evidence to retain | Failure signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keep attendance and booking series separate | Authority page or service readback | Adding people and bookings |
| 2 | Compare the same quarter year on year | Dated input, statement or booking screen | Calling bookings unique users |
| 3 | Show both percentage and absolute count | Calculation sheet with assumptions | Explaining a fall without facility evidence |
| 4 | Check the dataset update and unit | Written confirmation from the responsible party | Ranking sports only by percentage |
| 5 | Flag low-base percentage effects | Receipt, acknowledgement or reference number | Dropping the extraction date |
| 6 | Do not infer causes from movement alone | Photograph, timetable or versioned document | Adding people and bookings |
| 7 | Retain the API response and formula | Final outcome and date checked | Calling bookings unique users |
The record should be short enough to update. Put the most recent evidence first, keep the earlier version, and label estimates separately from confirmed figures. The two original tools in this guide—a reproducible 15-series api extraction with retained source json and a percentage-versus-volume analysis that prevents low-base growth from dominating—serve different purposes: one structures the choice, while the other tests the choice against a concrete case. Neither should be copied into a new case without refreshing its inputs.
What each authority source establishes
| Source | Claim used here | Freshness control |
|---|---|---|
| data.gov.sg SportSG quarterly facility dataset | Q1 2026 attendance and booking series, updated July 2026. | Checked 2026-07-17; re-open before acting |
| data.gov.sg SportSG API response | Swimming Pool Attendances, Gymnasium Attendances and Total Bookings series. | Checked 2026-07-17; re-open before acting |
These links are attached to the claims they support, not offered as a substitute for explanation. If a service screen, signed agreement or officer’s written response conflicts with the general page, preserve both and ask which fact or newer rule produces the difference. Do not conceal the conflict by selecting the more convenient answer.
For the adjacent decision, continue with our local dataset method and wellness activity planner. Each answers a separate next-step question.
Errors that change the outcome
- Adding people and bookings
- Calling bookings unique users
- Explaining a fall without facility evidence
- Ranking sports only by percentage
- Dropping the extraction date
Keep the dated authority pages, calculation inputs, confirmations and any advice used for the decision. This article applies public information to a general fact pattern and does not determine an individual application, contract, tax position, medical need or legal dispute. Recheck the linked primary source immediately before acting, especially where the transaction, journey, booking or filing occurs after a stated change date.
Questions readers ask
Which use total was largest?
Swimming-pool attendance at 1,503,652 in Q1 2026.
Which headline grew fastest?
Among the three headline totals, gym attendance grew fastest year on year at 21.1%.
Does football’s decline prove lower interest?
No. The dataset shows fewer recorded bookings, not the cause or total participation.
