Africa: One in Four Adolescents Worldwide Reported No Active Days in the Previous Week

What the report says

The World Health Organization released new global estimates showing that about one in four adolescents worldwide did not get at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any day in the previous week. The findings, reported by AllAfrica from WHO material, were published on Nov. 4, 2026 and draw on a study in The Lancet Global Health based on 389 surveys from 140 countries and territories covering more than 3.2 million adolescents aged 11 to 17.

WHO said the average adolescent was active for just 2.7 days a week, and only 14% reported being active every day. The agency said physical activity levels have changed very little over the past 15 years, despite the health risks tied to inactivity, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. The report also highlighted a persistent gender gap: girls were less active than boys in nearly every country and WHO region.

According to the WHO, 28% of girls reported no active days, compared with 22% of boys. The agency said the pattern reflects more than individual choice, pointing to factors such as safe public spaces, transport, school settings, affordability, social norms and screen-based habits. WHO is urging action across education, transport, urban planning, sport and health to make physical activity safer and easier in daily life.

The report matters because it frames adolescent inactivity as a long-running public health challenge rather than a short-term trend. It also suggests that closing the gap will require environmental and policy changes, especially to support girls and young people in low-activity settings.