EU survey: Almost one in two Europeans never do sports

According to the report, 46 percent of EU citizens now state that they "never play sports". This figure has risen by four percentage points since 2014 and describes a trend that has been intensifying since 2009. In Germany, it applies to 38 percent of those surveyed. Sports activities improved in only six countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Malta.

These results were presented by Hungary's EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics to the Eurobarometer survey during the annual sports forum in Sofia. The EU-wide survey also shows that most physical activity takes place in parks and outdoors (40 percent) or at home (32 percent). More than one in eight Europeans walk less than ten minutes a day or sit for more than eight and a half hours a day.

These figures underline the role that employers can play, the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry writes. Employers could, for example, help citizens to move around in the workplace. The EU also believes that cities and municipalities could help to make citizens more physically active in their daily lives.

The main reasons for EU citizens to exercise or be physically active are improved health (54 percent) and fitness (47 percent). Lack of time (40 percent) is the main obstacle for EU citizens.