We all know that regular physical activity, such as exercise or sports, is essential for improving physical and mental health. Among other benefits, it supports cognitive function and well-being.
However, the prevalence of inadequate physical activity remains high in Europe. Nearly half (45%) of EU residents report never exercising or participating in sports.
A joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggests that increased physical activity could prevent thousands of premature deaths in the EU and save billions of euros in health care costs annually doing.
But which countries in Europe have the most and least physical activity? What are the main reasons preventing people from exercising more regularly? What is the economic burden of lack of exercise? And how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected people’s exercise habits?
Comprehensive Eurobarometer Study and Joint Research on Sport Participation and Physical Activity in EU Member States WHO-OECD report Titled “Step Up! We can address all these issues by tackling the burden of inadequate physical activity in Europe.
In 2016, more than 1 in 3 adults (35.4%) in 27 EU Member States were not sufficiently active, according to the WHO dataset. This varied from her 19% in Finland to 46% in Portugal.
Inadequate physical activity was particularly common in some Southern European countries and less frequent in Nordic countries.The lowest rate was 18% in Russia.
The Eurobarometer survey, conducted in April-May 2022, provides very new data on sport and physical activity in the EU.
When EU residents were asked how often they participate in exercise or sports, nearly half (45%) reported never doing so. Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) said they rarely exercise or play sports.
Nearly a third (32%) of respondents did so with some regularity, but only 6% did so regularly.
Exercise means any form of physical activity that people do in the context of a sport or in a sport-related environment, such as swimming, training in a sports center or sports club, running in a park, etc.
Portugal has the highest percentage of people who do not exercise or play sports at all, at 75%.
Finland is the lowest Nordic country with just 8%, followed by Sweden (12%) and Denmark (20%). This percentage is 32% in Germany and 45% in France.
Female, older, less educated or poorer? Less exercise
The survey found that gender, age, education, and economic status are associated with movement in the EU.
Women and the elderly are less likely to participate in regular sports and exercise, as are people of lower socioeconomic status.
Men are more likely than women to exercise or play sports with some regularity, with 40% of men not exercising or playing sports at all compared to 49% of women.
People aged 15-24 are most likely to exercise or play sports regularly (54%). This percentage decreases with age, from 42% in the 25-39 year old group he falls to 32% in the 40-54 year old group and 21% in the 55+ age group.
Thirty-one percent of those who continued their education until age 20 or older reported never exercising, whereas this rose to 74% for those who dropped out of school before age 15.
Motivation for participation in exercise and sports
More than half (54%) of Europeans say they engage in sports and physical activity to improve their health, much sooner than for any other reason.
About 4 in 10 people engage in sports or other physical activity to improve fitness (43%) or relax (39%).
At least a quarter of respondents said their motivations were to have fun (27%), improve physical performance (27%) and control their weight (25%).
Why don’t Europeans exercise more?
Lack of time is a major factor preventing people across the EU from participating in sport more regularly.
Forty-one percent said they did not participate in sports regularly due to lack of time, while a quarter (25%) said they lacked motivation or were not interested.
How has COVID-19 impacted sports participation and exercise frequency?
A third (34%) of respondents said they were physically active during COVID-19, including participating in sports, but less frequently.
Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) have stopped physical activity during the pandemic.
One-third (34%) of participants said they were as physically active during COVID-19 as they were before.
Economic burden due to lack of exercise
The OECD estimates that increased physical activity could save €7.7 billion annually in purchasing power parity (PPP) health care costs if everyone did at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.
Most of the burden is in countries with large populations and high levels of healthcare costs, such as Germany (€2.1 billion), Italy (€1.3 billion) and France (€1.1 billion).
The WHO and OECD report that if everyone achieved the WHO-recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week:
• Prevents more than 10,000 premature deaths per year (people aged 30-70).
• Add 7.5 months to life expectancy for the currently inactive population and nearly two months to life expectancy for the general population.
