This Statistics Canada report shows that four out of five teenagers in Canada are not meeting
physical activity recommendations. From 2022 to 2024, only 21 per cent of youth aged 12 to
17 across the country were meeting physical activity recommendations, compared to 36 per
cent from 2018 to 2019.
Teens were the only age group to have seen significant declines in physical activity between
the two data collection periods. From 2022 to 2024, close to half of adults (46 per cent) and 9
in 10 preschoolers aged 3 to 4 years (91 per cent) and over half of children aged 5 to 11 years
(52 per cent) met recommended physical activity levels.
The report points to strategies to incorporate more movement into our daily lives. It explores
the link between physical activity and obesity. Low activity levels during adolescence may
continue into adulthood and could contribute to weight challenges later in life.
For children and youth aged 5 to 17 years, the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day and no more
than 2 hours of recreational screen time.
Published By: Statistics Canada
Publication Date: October 17, 2025
Click here to access Directly Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Canada: New
Results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2022 to 2024
