Who Stays Active? A Surprising Global Snapshot

We all know exercise is good for us. But who actually does it — and how much — turns out to depend a lot on where you live and who you are. Researchers looked at data from over 200,000 people across 22 countries, asking a simple question: how many days per week did you exercise for at least 30 minutes?

On average, people in their sixties report more days of physical activity than many younger age groups.

The answers varied enormously. People in the Philippines reported the most active days (about 3. 8 per week), while people in Egypt reported the fewest (less than 1 per week). Beyond country differences, the study found clear patterns tied to identity and life circumstances.

On average, men reported more active days than women. People in their late teens and early twenties were fairly active, activity dipped in middle age, then rose again for people in their sixties before declining after seventy. People with more education tended to report more exercise. So did people who attended religious services frequently. Self-employed people and those in domestic partnerships also reported more active days than others.

Immigrants reported slightly fewer active days than people born in their country of residence. But these are averages — and the study found huge variation from country to country. In some places, like Sweden and Germany, men and women reported nearly identical activity levels. In others, like Tanzania and Kenya, the gender gap was much wider. The study doesn't tell us why these differences exist, but it gives us a detailed snapshot of who is moving and who isn't around the world.