Health

One‑Quarter of Global Adolescents Report No Physical Activity in a Week, Study Finds

By Rhythma Kaul

A global study published in The Lancet Global Health found that one in four adolescents worldwide—about 240 million or 24.9 % of those aged 11‑17—reported no active days in a week in 2025. The study, which analysed data from 389 surveys covering 3.2 million participants in 140 countries, shows that overall physical activity levels have remained largely unchanged over the past 15 years.

The authors note that 24.9 % of adolescents report no active days, a figure that highlights a crucial and often overlooked dimension of adolescent health. They argue that addressing this challenge will require targeted, context‑specific approaches that prioritise those who are least active, alongside population‑wide action to address social, cultural, and environmental barriers, particularly for girls.

An active day is defined as at least 60 minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous physical activity (MVPA), such as sports, exercise, walking or cycling to school, or other leisure‑time activities. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in 2020 that adolescents get an average of 60 minutes of MVPA every day, and in 2018 WHO member states adopted a global target of reducing physical inactivity among adolescents by 15 % by 2030 compared with 2010 levels.

The study found that in 2025 adolescents worldwide averaged just 2.7 active days per week, with only 14 % active every day. The percentage reporting fewer than seven active days per week has not changed since 2010, and no country is on track to meet the 2030 global target.

Girls were less active than boys across all regions. About 28 % of girls reported no active days in a week, compared with 22 % of boys. Only 11 % of girls were physically active every day, against 17 % of boys. Girls also averaged fewer active days per week than boys—2.4 compared with 3.

The study found that most low‑ and middle‑income regions had a higher proportion of adolescents reporting no physical activity and lower average activity levels. In contrast, high‑income western, central and eastern Europe and Central Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific had fewer adolescents reporting zero to two active days, more reporting three or more active days, and small improvements over time.

The authors emphasise that physical activity during adolescence can improve both present and future physical and mental health, while reducing the risk of long‑term illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. They call for governments to step up efforts through policies suited to local needs, ensuring that interventions reach all adolescents, particularly those who are least active. They suggest making everyday places such as schools and neighbourhoods more conducive to activity and developing gender‑responsive programmes that tackle systemic barriers behind girls’ lower activity, including restrictive gender norms, safety concerns and a lack of suitable activities.

The study’s estimates will be adopted as official WHO statistics upon publication.