One in four adolescents worldwide reported no active days in the previous week

Geneva, Switzerland, 9th November,2026 (WHO/PAHO) – One in four adolescents worldwide reported not getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any day in the previous week.

According to new global estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO), this amounts to some 240 million young people aged 11–17 years who reported not completing at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on any day in the previous week. On average, adolescents reported being active for just 2.7 days a week, while only 14% reported being active on all seven days.

The findings point to a lack of global progress over the past 15 years, with levels of physical activity among adolescents virtually unchanged during this time. The new estimates indicate that 86% of adolescents reported fewer than seven active days in 2025, unchanged from 2010 under the methodology used in the new analysis.