Active Lives data highlights progress in getting more people active

New Active Lives data from Sport England shows that nationally – and at a Black Country level (up by 0.7%) – more adults are now meeting the government’s recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week.

Nationally, 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 – an increase of 859,000 adults compared to the previous 12 months.

But significant inequalities persist, with some groups and communities still far less likely to be active than others.

The annual report, covering the period between November 2024 and November 2025, underlined that where people live, their socio-economic background, gender and ethnicity still have a major impact on how likely they are to be active.

While the national picture is encouraging, the Black Country remains the region with the highest levels of inactivity at 34.9%, way above the England average of 24.7%. Across the four local authorities, Sandwell is the place with the most inactive adult population.

Andy Taylor, Chief Executive of the Active Partnerships National Organisation, said: “Although the results today are positive, we also need to acknowledge that inequalities remain when it comes to activity. Even though we are seeing greater growth in activity levels for the number of people with a disability or long-term health condition compared to those who are non-disabled and don’t have a long-term health condition, there is still a consistent gap in the activity levels between men and women. Black and Asian (not including Chinese) people are still less likely to be active than white people too.

“Where a person lives also still has a huge impact on activity levels which is why Sport England’s place expansion funding continues to be hugely significant, with Active Partnerships leading and working as part of more than 90 Place Partnerships, alongside local partners and communities, to ensure this vital investment reaches the places and people that need it the most, helping to level the playing field."

Download Sport England’s Active Lives Adult Survey report here