RIYADHA — Nearly 60 percent of adults in Saudi Arabia engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, while 20.3 percent of children and adolescents engage in 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).
The authority’s Physical Activity Statistics 2026 report showed that 59.9 percent of adults aged 18 and above met the weekly activity threshold, with the rate reaching 63.4 percent among males and 52.9 percent among females.
Among children and adolescents aged 5 to 17, 20.3 percent engaged in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, with males recording 27.1 percent, compared with 13.3 percent among females.
The report also highlighted differences in physical activity levels across age groups, with adults aged 18 to 29 recording the highest rate at 63 percent, followed by those aged 30 to 39 at 61.8 percent and those aged 40 to 49 at 61.1 percent.
Physical activity levels declined among older age groups, reaching 43 percent among adults aged 60 to 69, 25.2 percent among those aged 70 to 79, and 13.4 percent among individuals aged 80 and above.
GASTAT’s figure showing relative distribution of physical activity among adults (18 years and above) by gender.
In terms of activity type, recreational physical activity ranked first among physically active adults at 64.7 percent, followed by physical activity while commuting to and from places at 52.4 percent, while work-related physical activity accounted for 40.8 percent.
Meanwhile, adults spent an average of 340 minutes per day sitting or reclining, excluding sleep, equivalent to approximately five hours and 40 minutes.
Women recorded higher sedentary time at 363 minutes daily, compared with 329 minutes among men.
Among children and adolescents, 33.8 percent spent between one and less than two hours per day sitting or engaging in sedentary activities, such as watching television or using electronic devices, excluding time spent at school.
The report also showed that 26.1 percent spent between two and less than three hours in sedentary activities daily, while 19.9 percent spent less than one hour.
According to GASTAT, the findings are based on self-reported data from the National Health Survey and the Woman and Child Health Survey for 2026, with the accuracy of the estimates dependent on the information provided by individuals or caregivers.
Source: Saudi Gazette