Child inactivity crisis continues as less than half of young Londoners meet recommended levels of physical activity for second year running.
No significant change for either ‘active’ or ‘less active’ when compared to last year’s data.
Overall, for London, we’ve seen a similar trend to the national data, with activity levels returning to pre-pandemic levels, with 46% of CYP classed as active.
08 December 2023, Sport England published the results from its latest Active Lives Children and Young People survey.
Whilst children and young people’s overall activity levels were shown to be stable, maintaining recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic across the 2022-23 academic year – in line with pre-pandemic levels – the data showed that the child inactivity crisis continues with less than half of young Londoners (46%) meeting the recommended levels of physical activity for the second year in a row.
It also showed that significant inequalities remained in activity levels, with Black (40%) and Asian (40%) children and young people, and those from the least affluent families (44%), still less likely to play sport or be physically active than the average across all ethnicities and affluence groups. Girls (44%) are also less likely to be active than boys (51%).
However, the results included some positive findings, with an increase in girls (1.5%) playing football, and an additional one million (11.5%) children walking, cycling and scooting, compared to 2017-18.
London Sport will be publishing a report in the new year, setting out the findings in London’s boroughs in more detail.
You can read Sport England’s findings here.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About London Sport
London Sport is a charity that exists to help ensure more Londoners live happier, healthier lives through access to sport and physical activity.
Supported by Sport England and the Mayor of London, London Sport collaborates with those that share our vision, running and supporting projects that help children, young people and the least active adults to embed sport and physical activity into their lives.
For more information on London Sport, visit www.londonsport.org
