New WHO findings underline urgent need to get young people moving
A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights alarmingly low levels of physical activity among young people. Only 14 per cent of adolescents worldwide meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, while one in four reported no active days at all in the previous week – equivalent to around 240 million adolescents. The findings also reveal a persistent gender gap, with girls being less active than boys in almost every country: 28 per cent of girls reported no active days in the previous week, compared with 22 per cent of boys.
Key facts
- New WHO report highlights that only 14 per cent of adolescents aged 11-17 achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
- Girls are significantly less active than boys, with only 11 per cent of girls meeting activity guidelines compared with 17 per cent of boys.
- Sport is one of the sectors identified by WHO as having a key role in engaging young people and creating more opportunities for participation in physical activity.
- Since 2022, IOC-supported initiatives have reached over 50 million people through sport participation programmes, policy change, advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns.
Sport is among the sectors identified by WHO that can help engage young people and create opportunities to participate, an area in which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Movement invest significantly through programmes promoting participation and more equal access to sport.
A generation missing out on physical activity
The figures underline the urgency of the challenge. With little progress made globally over the past 15 years, the findings reinforce the need for concerted action to get more young people moving.
The gender gap is particularly striking. Only 11 per cent of girls meet the recommended level of physical activity, compared with 17 per cent of boys, suggesting that policies and programmes need to further address the unique barriers to the participation of women and girls in sport and physical activity.
Turning the power of sport into opportunities for all
The WHO is calling for coordinated action across sectors, including sport, to create safe, accessible, affordable and enjoyable opportunities for adolescents to be physically active. Through its initiatives and programmes, the IOC is active in this area, working with partners across the Olympic Movement to inspire participation and expand access to sport for young people.
A central part of this work is the IOC’s Let’s Move campaign, developed in collaboration with WHO. In 2026, the campaign encourages young people to get active with the message “You Can Do This!”, helping them overcome self-doubt and take the first step towards movement, regardless of their experience or ability.
Beyond inspiring young people to get active, the IOC also works with partners to enable participation at community level. Since 2022, IOC-supported initiatives have reached over 50 million people through sport participation programmes, policy change, advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns, working across 42,000 organisations and supporting 107,000 coaches, teachers and healthcare workers. These programmes use sport to advance health, education, equality and inclusion, including initiatives reaching young people in underserved communities, helping bring to life the Olympic Social Impact ambitions of the IOC’s Fit for the Future strategy.
In Africa, for example, the Olympafrica Youth Empowerment through Sport (O!YES) programme creates community-based sports opportunities, engaging 96,741 participants across 29 Olympafrica centres in its third edition (2024-2025).
In China, 32 Community Sport and Health Centres are combining digital engagement with inclusive, safe and accessible in-person activities supported by the IOC’s Let’s Move campaign, with 250,000 residents set to be engaged in moving from initial participation to regular community-based sport and physical activity. This programme builds on the wider Sport and Health Cooperation Initiative delivered by the IOC with WHO and PATH in Ghana, Tanzania, Nepal, Peru and Vietnam, which has already reached more than six million people and supported 1.5 million people to participate in sport and physical activity.
Another initiative helping young people get active in their communities is the Sports in School Project in Bhutan, supported by the IOC through Olympic Solidarity. The Bhutan Olympic Committee, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, launched the programme to improve young people’s health and fitness through structured sports activities and Olympic values education. To date, around 5,900 students have participated.
Closing the gender gap
Creating more opportunities for women and girls to participate in sport is a key focus for the IOC and the Olympic Movement. At the Olympic Games, equal opportunities for female athletes and greater visibility for women’s sport help showcase positive female role models to girls around the world. Through its Portrayal Guidelines, the IOC also works to advance gender-equal, fair and inclusive media coverage that challenges stereotypes around women in sport.
IOC-supported initiatives are helping create opportunities for girls to participate in sport in their own communities. These include the Empowering Girls Through Sport project in Türkiye, supported by the IOC through Olympic Solidarity. The project provides year-round safe access to sport for girls aged 10 to 14 in disadvantaged communities, with more than 1,500 girls participating since its launch in 2021. Through four sports schools, girls can access coaching in seven Olympic sports, while also benefiting from a safe environment, mentoring and female athlete role models.
Working together to get young people moving
Physical activity is about much more than physical health. As the WHO report highlights, being active can support mental well-being, learning, self-confidence and social connection, helping young people develop a sense of belonging and inclusion.
The challenge of adolescent inactivity cannot be addressed by sport alone. It requires collective action from governments, schools, communities, health organisations and the sports sector to make physical activity an accessible and enjoyable part of everyday life. The IOC will continue to work with WHO and partners across and beyond the Olympic Movement to inspire more young people to move and expand opportunities to participate, particularly for girls and those facing the greatest barriers.