Ana M. López
Research expert covering travel, tourism and hospitality
Physical activity in Latin America - statistics & facts
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily for children and adolescents. For adults, the recommendation lies between 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercises, between 75 and 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercises per week, or a mix of both. In 2022, 31.3 percent of adults worldwide did not work out enough. By 2030, the insufficiently active population will grow in most world regions, except for high-income Western countries, Sub-Sahara Africa, and Oceania.
Do Latin Americans work out sufficiently?
The prevalence of insufficient physical activity in Latin America and the Caribbean surpasses the global average. In 2022, for instance, the share of the population in the region who did not exercise enough reached 36.6 percent and might climb to 40 percent in 2030. However, some countries exhibit significant differences. In Argentina, for example, more than 60 percent of physically active adults surveyed in 2023 reported completing less than the recommended amount of exercise or sport per week. By contrast, nearly 64 percent of Mexican women and 56 percent of Mexican men who are physically active work out sufficiently in 2023.Gender comparison
Four in ten women in Latin America and the Caribbean did not meet the requirements of weekly physical exercise in 2022. By 2030, this figure will increase to nearly 45 percent. Among Latin American and Caribbean men, the prevalence of physical inactivity reached 31 percent in 2022 and might grow at a similar rate to the women’s in the following years.
