31%
of adults worldwide do not meet recommended physical activity levels
Roughly 1.8 billion adults were insufficiently active in 2022, up from 26% in 2010 — a rising trend across most regions.
World Health Organization, 2024 12 citable stats · free to reuse with credit
Health Statistics Library
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Physical activity & sedentary livingNutrition & diet qualityChronic disease burdenSleep & mental wellbeing
Physical activity & sedentary living
How much the world actually moves — and what it costs when we don't.
150 min
of moderate aerobic activity per week is the adult minimum
WHO guidance recommends 150–300 minutes of moderate, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous, aerobic activity weekly plus 2 days of strength work.
World Health Organization, 202081%
of adolescents aged 11–17 are insufficiently physically active
Inactivity is highest in adolescence and stays high into early adulthood, making school-age habits a major long-term risk factor.
World Health Organization, 2024Nutrition & diet quality
Where global diets fall short of the simplest public-health targets.
400 g
of fruit and vegetables per day is the recommended intake
That is roughly five 80 g portions daily, excluding starchy roots such as potatoes and cassava.
World Health Organization, 2020< 5 g
of salt per day — about one teaspoon — is the adult ceiling
Most populations consume roughly double this, and excess sodium is a leading driver of raised blood pressure.
World Health Organization, 2023< 10%
of daily energy should come from free sugars
A further reduction to below 5% of total energy intake is suggested for additional health benefits.
World Health Organization, 2020Chronic disease burden
The conditions that dominate mortality — and how preventable they are.
43M
deaths a year are caused by noncommunicable diseases
NCDs — cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes — account for roughly 75% of all non-pandemic deaths worldwide.
World Health Organization, 20241.28B
adults aged 30–79 live with hypertension
About 46% of them are unaware they have it, and only 1 in 5 have it under control.
World Health Organization, 2023830M
people worldwide live with diabetes
More than half of adults with diabetes were not receiving medication for the condition in 2022.
World Health Organization, 2024Sleep & mental wellbeing
Two areas readers underestimate most, with the clearest numeric targets.
7+ hrs
of sleep per night is recommended for adults
Adults aged 18–60 need at least seven hours; shorter sleep is associated with higher risk of obesity, hypertension and depression.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20241 in 8
people globally live with a mental disorder
Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common, and both rose sharply following the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Health Organization, 2022$1T
is lost to the global economy each year from depression and anxiety
Lost productivity from these two conditions alone, underlining prevention as an economic as well as clinical priority.
World Health Organization, 2024Citing this page
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