A new global study has raised concerns about physical activity among teenagers, finding that around one in four adolescents worldwide does not achieve even 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on any day of the week.
Activity Levels Show Little Improvement
The research, published in The Lancet Global Health, analysed 389 population-based surveys from 140 countries and territories, covering more than 3.2 million adolescents. It estimated that around 240 million young people aged 11–17 are not meeting the daily activity benchmark.
On average, adolescents reported being physically active on just 2.7 days a week. Only 14% said they were active every day, while overall progress has remained limited over the past 15 years.
Girls Face a Wider Activity Gap
The study found that 28% of girls had no physically active days during the week, compared with 22% of boys. Just 11% of girls reported daily activity, against 17% of boys.
India Missing From the Global Assessment
India was not included because researchers could not identify nationally or large sub-nationally representative surveys that met the study’s requirements. The gap highlights the need for stronger and more consistent data on adolescent health and activity.
Researchers have called for schools and communities to make movement, sports and active recreation safer and more accessible, particularly for girls. The findings underline the importance of making regular physical activity a normal part of everyday life.
