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.
Sport England has published the latest Active Lives Adult Survey Report, covering the period between November 2024 and November 2025. The report 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.
The release continues the strong recovery seen in recent years from the Covid-19 pandemic and builds on last year’s milestone of record participation.
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.
- It shows 24.7% (11.8 million) are 'less active' - doing less than an average of 30 minutes of physical activity a week.
- 10.7% (5.1m) are fairly active - doing an average of 30-149 minutes of physical activity a week.
- 64.6% (30.9m) are active - meeting the Chief Medical Officers' guideline of an average of 150+ minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week.
Inequalities in activity levels remain
Despite this progress, the survey shows that not everyone is benefiting equally, with significant and persistent inequalities across society.
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.
Find out more about the survey and download the full report on Sport England's website
The Picture in Lincolnshire
Where a person lives also still has a huge impact on activity levels; Sport England is committed to tackling these challenges by concentrating efforts and investments on those that need it the most including through place expansion funding.
We're pleased to be working with Sport England on Place Partnerships in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland, where communities are facing some of the greatest barriers to being active. We're working collaboratively with partners and communities in these districts, to help create the conditions that make being active easier, more inclusive and more sustainable. You can find out more about our work in place here.
Lincolnshire Figures
- 58.4% of adults are classed as active, which means they each the Chief Medical Officers recommended levels of 150 minutes of activity a week
- 12.9% are fairly active, doing between 30 and 149 minutes of activity a week
- 28.7% are classed as inactive doing under half an hour of moderate activity each week.
We'll be sharing more in depth local analysis in coming weeks. We look forward to working with our strategic partners, stakeholders and communities across the county to achieve positive changes for residents through the Let’s Move Lincolnshire strategy.
Find previous surveys and research on our knowledge hub
