Children and young people’s overall activity levels are stable as the initial recovery from the pandemic was maintained across the 2022-23 academic year.

It means 47% of children meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity a day.

The figures, which Sport England published today in their latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report, are in line with the 2018-2019 academic year, the last full year before the pandemic, and higher than in 2017-18 when they launched the survey.

Professor Jo Harris, afPE Board Member, said:

"It is good news that children’s activity levels have held firm post pandemic and that just under half of all children are active enough to benefit their physical, mental and social health.

It is particularly pleasing that a million more children are routinely engaged in active travel to places and that there has been an increase in free, as opposed to paid, activities. This is a significant and important trend, given increased cost of living issues. 

However, it remains a major concern that over half of children are still not sufficiently active for their health and that as many as 600,000 more children are not engaging voluntarily in any activity. This emphasises the key role that curriculum Physical Education (PE) plays in addressing major ongoing inequities in physical activity participation, especially those associated with gender, ethnicity, disability and affluence.

Making PE a core subject in schools would help reduce the widening gap between those who are active and not, and help ensure that all children are properly supported in leading active, healthy lives."

Sue Wilkinson MBE, afPE CEO, said:

"afPE is pleased that numbers have held firm and not declined, but as Sport England state there is still much to do to ensure that the Get Active strategy for the future of sport and physical activity in order to build a healthier nation is achievable.

The Physical Education (PE) curriculum aim to lead active lifestyles can be transformational. Schools that embrace this aim see a clear improvement. However, unless PE is at the heart of the school and continuously monitored, inequalities may widen; the school may be the only opportunity where children have a statutory entitlement to PE."

Read the full release on Sport England's website.