Lancet study says nearly 50 per cent adults in India insufficiently physically active in 2022

According to a Lancet Global Health report, half of India’s adult population does not meet the standards of sufficient physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The report indicated that the prevalence of insufficient physical activity among Indian adults surged from 22.3% in 2000 to 49.4% in 2022, with women (57%) being more physically inactive than men (42%). India ranks 12th among 195 countries in terms of insufficient physical activity.

The report further revealed that nearly one-third of adults globally – approximately 1.8 billion people or 31% – did not meet the recommended physical activity levels in 2022. The highest rates were observed in the high-income Asia-Pacific region (48%) and South Asia (45%), while inactivity levels stood at 28% in high-income Western countries and 14% in Oceania.

Reference: Tessa Strain, PhD, Seth Flaxman, PhD, Regina Guthold, PhD, Elizaveta Semenova, PhD, Melanie Cowan, MPH, Leanne M Riley, MSc, et al; National, regional, and global trends in insufficient physical activity among adults from 2000 to 2022: a pooled analysis of 507 population-based surveys with 5·7 million participants; The Lancet Global Health; DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(24)00150-5