Record numbers playing sport and taking part in physical activity

The number of people playing sport and taking part in physical activity in England is at the highest level on record, according to Sport England’s latest Active Lives Adult Survey Report.

The new figures show that, between November 2023 and November 2024, 63.7% of the adult population met the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of doing 150 minutes, or more, of moderate intensity physical activity a week.

That’s equivalent to 30 million adults in England playing sport or taking part in physical activity every week – up more than 2.4m from when the results of the first survey in 2016.

The number of inactive adults, those doing less than 30 minutes of activity a week, is down, with this number falling by 121,000 in the last 12 months.

This reflects significant progress, especially considering the huge disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and is testament to the hard work of many organisations across the sport and physical activity sector, Sport England said.

The Active Lives Adult Survey Report also gives a detailed understanding of the factors that influence how likely a person is to be active.

A person’s age, sex, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic group, whether they have a disability or long-term health condition, and the place they live in are all significant factors impacting our relationship with sport and physical activity.

The report shows some positive changes – since the survey began, the number of older adults (aged 55+) who are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines has increased from 51% to 58% (2.5m people), while the number of people who are disabled or living with a long-term health condition has increased from 44% to 48% (470,000 people).

However, it also underlines that many longstanding inequalities remain, with women, those from lower socio-economic groups and Black and Asian people still less likely to be active than others. When a person has two or more of these characteristics, such as a black disabled person or an Asian man from a lower socio-economic group, the results are compounded.

Responding to the report, Stephanie Peacock, Sports Minister said: “We want adults from all walks of life to be able to access sport and get active.

“Today’s data shows that we need to do more. This government will place tackling inactivity at the heart of our preventative health agenda, and we will work to empower local communities to have the facilities, resources and support they need so that everyone can lead a healthy and active life.”

Chris Boardman, National Active Travel Commissioner and Sport England Chair, said: “I’m delighted to see record numbers of people taking part in sport and physical activity.

“Sport England is determined that everyone in England, regardless of their background or personal circumstances, is able to enjoy the benefits of an active lifestyle.

“We also know that an active population is vital for the country as a whole, as this relieves pressure on our NHS and also helps to drive economic growth.

“However, we know the job is not done yet and there is plenty more to do. That’s why we’ll continue focussing our efforts and resources on the communities that need it most.”

Sport England’s long-term strategy, Uniting the Movement, prioritises tackling these longstanding inequalities.