Around 240 million adolescents worldwide missed out on regular exercise: WHO

A quarter of adolescents worldwide did not complete even 60 minutes of physical activity on a single day during the previous week, according to new global estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on November 4. The findings highlight a persistent public health challenge, with around 240 million young people aged 11–17 years missing out on the benefits of regular exercise.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, analysed data from 389 population-based surveys across 140 countries and territories, involving more than 3.2 million adolescents. It found that young people were physically active on an average of just 2.7 days per week, while only 14% reported achieving at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day.

The findings also indicate that little progress has been made in improving adolescent physical activity levels over the past 15 years, raising concerns about the long-term health consequences of increasingly inactive lifestyles.

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Girls lag behind boys in physical activity

The report identified a persistent gender gap in physical activity, with adolescent girls significantly less active than boys across almost every country and WHO region.

Around 28% of girls reported zero active days in the previous week, compared with 22% of boys. The difference was also visible among adolescents who exercised daily: only 11% of girls reported being active on all seven days, against 17% of boys.

The figures suggest that girls face additional barriers to participating in regular physical activity. Safety concerns, social expectations, limited access to suitable sporting facilities and a lack of inclusive opportunities can affect their ability to exercise regularly.

There were also considerable differences between countries. In some countries, just 4% of adolescents reported no active days, while the proportion exceeded 40% in others. These variations underline the influence of local infrastructure, school environments, access to public spaces and socioeconomic conditions on young people's activity levels.

Physical inactivity raises long-term health concerns

Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Regular exercise during adolescence also supports healthy growth, stronger bones, improved fitness and mental well-being.

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WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that the responsibility should not rest solely on young people.

“The answer is not to tell adolescents to try harder. It is to build schools, streets and communities where moving, playing and being active is safe, easy and normal.”

The organisation has called for coordinated action across education, transport, urban planning, sports and healthcare. It recommends expanding physical education in schools, improving access to sports facilities and investing in safe walking and cycling routes.