Active Lives Adult Survey

Sport England’s Active Lives Adult Survey measures the sport and physical activity levels of adults aged 16+ across England. Released once a year the most recent survey looked at the period November 2022 to November 2023 and was released in April 2024.

Follow this link to access the Sport England Active Lives information and resources

At a national level

There is a long-term increase in activity levels, but action is still needed to tackle inequalities. 63.4% of adults in England achieved the recommended 150+ minutes of physical activity a week. This means that two million more adults are being active on a regular basis since the survey started in 2016. However, there are still a quarter (25.7%) of adults doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week.

The activities people are engaging in is changing over time.

• Active travel and fitness which were significantly impacted by the pandemic are continuing to recover.
• Swimming is now back in line with pre-pandemic levels and the number of people playing team sports continues to increase and is the highest it’s been for six years.
• Whilst the older a person gets their activity levels decline, levels are growing among older adults. Those aged 55+ are at the highest they’ve ever been and those aged 75+ are driving this upward trend.

However, inequalities still remain. Women, those from lower socio-economic groups, people with a disability or long-term health condition and Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active. Whilst positive attitudes towards being active are back to pre-pandemic levels, women, people with a disability and the least affluent are more likely to have negative attitudes towards being active.

At a local level

In Kent and Medway, the results are similar. 63% of adults are active, meaning 66,800 adults are now more active since 2016 and experiencing the benefits of leading an active lifestyle. However, 24.9% are inactive.

• Folkestone & Hythe saw the greatest increase in active adults
• Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells most active districts
• Dartford saw greatest increase in inactive adults
• Gravesham, Swale and Dartford most inactive districts

Active Kent & Medway are committed to tackling inactivity and reducing the inequalities in sport and physical activity across the county.

Follow this link to see how we’re tackling inequalities in Kent and Medway

If you would like to explore trends over time, specific activities, audiences and places, please take a look at Sport England’s Active Lives Online Tool.