WHO: 1.8 billion adults at risk of disease from inactivity

Nearly one-third (31%) of adults worldwide – approximately 1.8 billion people – failed to meet the recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. The finding comes from data gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO), which also shows that physical inactivity among adults has increased by about 5% between 2010 and 2022. The WHO recommends that adults have 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or equivalent, per week.

The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania. Disparities also remain between gender and age.

Physical inactivity is still more common among women globally compared with men, with inactivity rates of 34% compared to 29%. In some countries, this difference is as much as 20 percentage points. Additionally, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity for older adults.

If the overall trend continues, levels of inactivity are projected to further rise to 35% by 2030, and the world is currently off track from meeting the global target to reduce physical inactivity by 2030.

“These new findings highlight a lost opportunity to reduce cancer and heart disease, and to improve mental well-being through increased physical activity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“We must renew our commitments to increasing levels of physical activity and prioritise bold action, including strengthened policies and increased funding, to reverse this worrying trend.”

Dr Rüdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, added: “Physical inactivity is a silent threat to global health, contributing significantly to the burden of chronic diseases.

“We need to find innovative ways to motivate people to be more active, considering factors like age, environment, and cultural background. By making physical activity accessible, affordable, and enjoyable for all, we can significantly reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and create a population that is healthier and more productive.”

Despite the worrying results, however, there are some signs of improvement in some countries.

The study showed that almost half of the world’s countries have made some improvements over the past decade, and 22 countries were identified as likely to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030, if their trend continues at the same pace.

In light of these findings, WHO is calling on countries to strengthen their policy implementation to promote and enable physical activity through grassroots and community sport and active recreation and transport (walking, cycling and use of public transport), among other measures.

The data comes from research conducted by the WHO together with academic colleagues and published in The Lancet Global Health journal.

Dr Fiona Bull, Head of the WHO Unit for Physical Activity, said: “Promoting physical activity goes beyond promoting individual lifestyle choice – it will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for everyone to be more active in ways they enjoy to reap the many health benefits of regular physical activity.”

Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, added: “These figures should sound the alarm bell for nations around the world and we need to see more urgent action from the next Government to address physical inactivity in the UK. Physical activity is essential in reducing rates of long-term health conditions so if we do not prioritise getting more people active, the strain on our NHS and our economy will grow.

22 countries were identified as likely to reach the global target of reducing inactivity by 15% by 2030

“We are calling on the Government to first commit to making the UK the most active nation in Europe and deploy the physical activity sector to boost the nation’s physical and mental health.”

The WHO report, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, included 507 surveys across 163 countries and territories.

The highest rates of physical inactivity were observed in the high-income Asia Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), with levels of inactivity in other regions ranging from 28% in high-income Western countries to 14% in Oceania.