New WHO data found a fourth of kids aged 11–17 (240M adolescents) are completely inactive.
Stuck. Globally, kids average 2.7 active days per week, and only 14% get an hour daily. Unbudged for 15 years, no countries are on track to hit WHO’s 2030 improvement goal.
Split. Despite the rise of women’s sports, girls were much less active than boys, with 28% sedentary (vs. 22%) — calling attention to the challenges of puberty and girlhood.
Extreme. Spanning from 4% inactive to >40%, regions like Europe, Australasia, and Northern Asia scored well, while the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa struggled. High polarity, over 10% of US kids are inactive, but over 30% never miss a day.
Lived. Despite living in wellness’s epicenter, American kids are increasingly priced out of competition, lacking space to play, and navigating a screens-first society.
Punchline: The world stops moving when physical activity becomes a privilege, not a value. Kids deserve environments that keep them engaged and make movement a default.
