Activity levels in Australia

Participation in all forms of movement is central to a child’s health as they grow and develop. 

Unfortunately, evidence shows that Australian children are not getting enough physical activity, despite having available and accessible facilities and open spaces. This may be due to a number of contributing factors. However, we know that there is room for improvement.

Children meeting the physical activity recommendations

  • Only 23% of children 5 to 14 years are meeting the 60 minutes of activity per day
  • 72% of children aged 2 to 4 years are achieving the 180 minutes of activity per day.

In 2022, the Australian Society of Physical Activity released the Active Healthy Kids Australian report card with the following outcome:

Indicator2022 Report Card Rating % of Australian children achieving the benchmark
Overall physical activity level D-20-26%
Organised sport participation B-60-66%
Active transport D+34-39%
Family and peer support C+54-59%
School physical education C+54-59%
Community and the built environment A-80-86%
Physical fitness D+34-39%