New WHO report highlights progress and challenges in improving physical activity levels across the European Union

A new report from WHO/Europe, "Health-enhancing physical activity in the European Union, 2024"* presents the latest data on physical activity across the European Union (EU), reflecting on the progress achieved in making health-enhancing physical activity an integral part of people's lives.

Key findings

The report reveals that there has been a notable improvement in the implementation of physical activity policies in the EU from 2015 to 2024.

The EU HEPA Monitoring Framework - established to monitor implementation of the EU Physical Activity Guidelines - shows that policy implementation across 23 indicators that represent a comprehensive national approach to physical activity promotion increased from 64.7% in 2015 to 81.8% in 2024. This progress indicates an overall growing commitment to promoting physical activity as a critical component of public health.

Despite the increase in policy development and implementation, the latest available WHO data on physical activity levels showed that global prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 31.3% in 2022 - an increase from 23.4% in 2000. If these trends continue, the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030 target of a 15% reduction in levels of physical inactivity will not be met in most countries.

"We are seeing more EU countries adopting evidence-based policies to promote physical activity, for example, implementing whole-of-school physical activity programmes and promoting active travel that can address inequalities", said Dr Kremlin Wickramasinghe, WHO/Europe's Regional Adviser for Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

Benefits of increasing physical activity

Physical activity is essential for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the biggest health threat in the WHO European Region, accounting for 90% of all deaths.

Increasing physical activity to the minimum recommended levels (150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week) in the EU would prevent 11.5 million new cases of NCDs by 2050, including 3.8 million cases of cardiovascular diseases, 3.5 million cases of depression, nearly 1 million cases of type 2 diabetes, and more than 400 000 cases of different cancers.

The economic benefits of increasing physical activity extend beyond direct health-care savings - estimated at €8 billion annually. Countries that invest in promoting physical activity can expect a significant return on investment, as increased physical activity levels contribute to a healthier, more productive workforce and more fulfilling lives for all.

Next steps

The report includes a summary of national policies and action plans to promote physical activity in the EU. It highlights the importance of adopting approaches that involve various sectors such as health, education, sports, urban planning, and transport.

Collaboration between the European Commission's Sports Unit and WHO/Europe enabled a mechanism to support Member States and the European network for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA Europe). To further build on the progress made and address existing challenges, the report recommends several key actions, which include:

• enhancing national programmes and funding - strengthening national coordination mechanisms and funding across sectors including health, education, sports, urban planning, and transport;
• promoting inclusive policies - implementing policies that provide opportunities for daily physical activity for different population groups, including children, older adults, and people living with disabilities;
• improving data collection and surveillance - establishing systems for the monitoring and surveillance of physical activity levels, and using consistent methodologies to enable accurate tracking of trends and cross-country comparisons; and
• promoting health through sports - working to strengthen the connection between the sports and health sectors, and using the tools developed by WHO to guide sports federations and sports clubs to integrate health promotion into their activities.

The WHO/Europe report highlights that there is a need for more investment and political commitment to achieve global health targets by 2030, including UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 - to reduce by one third premature mortality from NCDs.

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* This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.