Physical Activity Fact Sheets 2021 published
2021 Fact sheets
The 2021 Physical Activity Fact Sheets provide a snapshot of the epidemiology of physical activity in EU Member States and related supportive policy initiatives.
Regular physical activity has benefits for health throughout a person's lifespan. Amongst other things, physical activity lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. There are also positive effects on mental health for all age groups.
To counter the trend of insufficient physical activity, a number of global and regional policies have been put in place in EU member states to promote Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA).
Based on a European Council recommendation from 2013 on promoting health-enhancing physical activity, the reports provide insight into 23 indicators evaluating HEPA levels and policies in the EU.
Third edition
This is the third edition of the Physical Activity Factsheets, following those collected by the European Commission and WHO/Europe in 2015 and 2018. They are the result of collaboration between Member States, WHO and the EC.
The data provides a baseline for monitoring the progress made towards achieving the 23 HEPA indicators.
On top of an overall report entitled “2021 Physical Activity Factsheets for the European Union Member States in the WHO/Europe Region” there are 27 individual Member State reports about their HEPA facts.