New WHO Estimates: Only 14 Percent of Adolescents Worldwide Meet Activity Guideline, One in Four Report No Active Day in a Week
The World Health Organization on November 4, 2026, in Geneva released new global estimates on physical activity among adolescents: only 14 percent of adolescents globally reach the recommended level, and one in four adolescents aged 11 to 17 report not getting 60 minutes of physical activity on any day in the previous week. WHO recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day on average for this age group.
The estimates show levels of inactivity among adolescents virtually unchanged in 15 years, with girls facing greater barriers than boys in almost every country and region. Physical activity helps prevent heart disease, some cancers and diabetes, and promotes healthy weight and mental wellbeing.
WHO said the answer is not simply to tell young people to try harder: governments must make physical activity the easy choice by investing in safe schools, public spaces, walking and cycling routes, transport policy and affordable opportunities for sport and recreation. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented the figures at a media briefing. (Source: World Health Organization)
Source: World Health Organization
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：联合国儿童基金会总部（纽约）。照片：Bigeez，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / UNICEF House in New York. Photo by Bigeez, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
