The High Cost of Physical Inactivity in the WHO's First Global Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) published its Global Status Report on Physical Activity in 2022. According to the report, 81% of adolescents and 27.5% of adults do not meet WHO physical activity guidelines.
According to WHO's 2022 estimate, without additional measures to increase physical activity, almost 500 million people could develop chronic noncommunicable diseases associated with physical inactivity between 2020 and 2030. The estimated annual cost is US$27 billion. |
Data from 194 countries show that progress has been slow and that the development and implementation of plans to increase physical activity need to accelerate.
Fewer than 50% of countries have a national physical activity plan, and fewer than 40% of those plans are operational.
Only 30% of countries have national physical activity guidelines covering all age groups.
Almost all countries report systems for monitoring physical activity in adults, 75% monitor activity among adolescents, and fewer than 30% monitor physical activity in children under five.
In policy areas that could support active and sustainable transport, only slightly more than 40% of countries have road design standards intended to make walking and cycling safer.
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