One in four adolescents got no hour of exercise in a week, World Health Organization report finds

4 November 2026

The World Health Organization has published a report titled A generation missing out: global trends in adolescent physical activity, 2010-2025. It draws on 389 population-based surveys from 140 countries and territories covering more than 3.2 million adolescents aged 11 to 17. In 2025 one in four adolescents reported not a single day in the previous week with at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Only 14 per cent said they were active on all seven days. Girls were consistently less active than boys, and levels varied widely between countries. Global activity levels have changed little since 2010, and the report says no country is on track for the agreed target of a 15 per cent relative cut in physical inactivity by 2030. The World Health Organization recommends an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day for children and adolescents.