In 2020, 65% of people aged 15 and over living in metropolitan France exercised or played sports regularly (at least once a week), this share being slightly higher among those living in cities of intermediate density (67%) than among those living in remote rural areas (60%). The main reasons why people engaged in exercising or playing sports are the same across territories but while cost is a specific obstacle to participation in urban areas, being in the nature is a specific motivation for rural inhabitants.

People living in remote rural areas and those living in rural areas under a moderate influence of an employment area were less likely to visit a library in the last 12 months than those living in dense urban areas (respectively both 21% versus 32%) as well as less likely to have been to the cinema (respectively 53% and 59% versus 68%) or to a museum (respectively both 22% versus 37%). Among those leisure activities that can take place at home some show discrepancies across territories like listening to the radio daily which was more common practice in remote rural areas (65%) or watching television daily which was much less popular in dense urban areas (52%).

Those discrepancies in levels of participation can be explained by discrepancies in supply and accessibility but also by sociodemographic characteristics of individuals.