Demographic and Economic Factors Study in the Regional Sports Development
Mário Teixeira, Tiago Ribeiro, Abel Correia

Abstract
This research aims to understand the effects of public policies on sport for people, through the study of factors influencing the process of regional sport development in Portugal. The chosen framework presented here relates to several variables such as the demographic dimension and economic aspects, focusing on the number of athletes. This applied methodology studies the development of sports for 2000-2009, using spatial econometrics to explain the variables in the database. The results obtained indicate an increasing number of athletes who were favoured by population density, land area, deaths and crime rate and disadvantaged by the infant mortality rate (demographic aspects). The dynamics of the economy (income inequality and income) were not able to present statistical evidence to enable them to explain the increase in the number of athletes. We conclude that the growth policies for sports should include 1: fostering an active demography (high density and population growth), 2: prioritize deprived areas (greater public insecurity). We also should consider the socio-economic context of the region, how to enhance the human capital of directors and how to insure a sustainable economic model for athletes.

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