Long-term increase in adults' activity levels

There are two million more adults getting active on a regular basis through sport and physical activity than in 2016, despite the impacts of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and increased cost-of-living pressures.

The figures, which Sport England published last week in their latest Active Lives Adult Survey report, show that between November 2022 and November 2023, 63.4% 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 29.5m adults in England playing sport or taking part in physical activity every week.

This figure is largely unchanged from 12 months ago when 63.1% were active but means that, compared to when they first ran the survey between November 2015 and November 2016, there are two million more active adults – an increase of 1.3%.

However, the report 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.

It also shows that where you live impacts on how likely you are to be active, with those living in more deprived places less likely to be active than those in places that are less deprived, from a high of 79% active in Brighton and Hove to a low of just 49% active in Barking and Dagenham.

It's why Sport England have put tackling inequalities at the heart of their Uniting the Movement strategy and, this week, they will be announcing details of their new £160m Movement Fund, ensuring our investment is targeted where it can make the biggest difference. They are also investing £250m in local communities with higher levels of deprivation across England.

(Source: Sport England)