Adults are getting more active

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More than 30 million adults in England are now meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, including millions taking part in sport, as participation continues to steadily rise.

The latest Active Lives Adult Survey Report, covering the period between November 2024 and November 2025, shows that 64.6% of adults (30.9 million people) met the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of doing 150 minutes, or more, of moderate intensity physical activity a week.

That’s an increase of 859,000 adults compared to the previous 12 months.

However, while overall activity levels continue to improve, the data highlights that significant inequalities persist, with some groups and communities still far less likely to be active than others.

Activity levels remain lower among:

• people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, with just 53.8% of the least affluent adults active, compared to 73.2% of the most active
• disabled people and those with long-term health conditions (49.1% active)
• older adults, particularly those aged 75+, with just 44.3% of this group active
• certain ethnicities, with Black adults (57.2%) and Asian adults (56.3%) less likely to be active than White adults.
• Women (62.2%) are still less likely to be active than men (67.3%).

More broadly, the data shows that inequalities can compound, with people who face multiple barriers significantly less likely to be active than those facing none.

The gap between communities is also becoming more pronounced. The divide in activity levels between the most and least deprived areas has widened over time, with sustained growth in more affluent areas.

View the Active Lives Report November 2024-25

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