Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH —About 59.1 percent of Saudi Arabia’s population, aged 18 and older, engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The participation rate was higher among males at 66.5 percent, compared to 43.1 percent for females. This was revealed in the 2025 Physical Activity Statistics, released on Thursday by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The age group of 18-29 years reported the highest levels of physical activity, with 71.2 percent of participants. In contrast, only 3.5 percent of individuals aged 80 and older engaged in regular physical activity.

Physical activities, such as walking or cycling, were the most common forms of exercise, with 57.1 percent of physically active individuals engaging in these activities. Work-related physical activity followed at 43.9 percent, while non-work-related activities ranked last at 37.8 percent.

Regarding sedentary behavior, the statistics showed that 34.6 percent of children and adolescents spend one to two hours daily on sedentary activities, such as watching television or using electronic devices, excluding school-related activities.

The GASTAT statistics are based on self-reported data from individuals or their caregivers. The estimates are drawn from the National Health Survey, the 2025 Women and Child Health Survey, and population data from GASTAT.