How many adults comply with the physical activity guidelines?

In 2022, 44 percent of Dutch adults were getting enough exercise to comply with the guidelines of the Health Council of the Netherlands. Half of all adults did enough moderate intensity activities, such as cycling, gardening or swimming. Over three-quarters (78 percent) did enough activities to strengthen bones and muscles, for example walking, running, or playing football. Half of all adults said they did some form of sport weekly.

According to the Physical activity guidelines of the Health Council of the Netherlands, it is important that people get enough exercise. The guidelines recommend that adults engage in at least two and a half hours of moderate intensity activities, such as cycling, a week. They should also do activities to strengthen bone and muscular tissue, for example walking, at least twice a week on different days.

Just as many Dutch men as women aged over 18 complied with these guidelines in 2022 (44 percent). More men than women did enough moderate intensity activities, while more women did enough activities to strengthen their bones and muscles. More men (52 percent) than women (48 percent) did some form of sport at least weekly. The results are based on the Health Survey/Lifestyle Monitor, compiled by CBS jointly with the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

One in three over-75s comply with guidelines

People aged 75 and older were least likely to comply with the guidelines (29 percent). In the age group 18 to 34 years, 48 percent met the target. In this age group, 63 percent did sports at least weekly, for the over-75s this was 31 percent.

Show datatableCompliance with physical activity guidelines and physical exercise (%)Hide datatableCompliance with physical activity guidelines and physical exercise (%)

Compliance with physical activity guidelines and physical exercise (%)

Leeftijd	Comply with physical activity guidelines	Exercise weekly
18-34 yrs	48.2	63.2
35-49 yrs	45.3	54.1
50-64 yrs	44.0	45.2
65-74 yrs	45.4	44.5
75 yrs and over	28.7	30.6

Exercise weekly

Nearly half (49 percent) of over-25s with a degree in higher education complied with the physical activity guidelines, and 65 percent said they did some form of sport on a weekly basis. In the group with a degree in prevocational secondary education (VMBO), 35 percent complied with the recommendations, while 30 percent said they exercised every week.

Show datatableCompliance with physical activity guidelines and sport by education level (% of people aged 25 and over)Hide datatableCompliance with physical activity guidelines and sport by education level (% of people aged 25 and over)

Compliance with physical activity guidelines and sport by education level (% of people aged 25 and over)

Onderwijsniveau	Up to VMBO level	VMBO to HBO level	HBO level or higher
Comply with physical activity guidelines	34.9	43.3	49.0
Exercise weekly	30.0	45.4	65.2

Fewer Dutch complying with activity recommendations

Relatively fewer Dutch adults complied with the physical activity guidelines in 2022 than in previous years. When the guidelines were introduced in 2017, 47 percent of the adult population complied with them. In 2022 this had fallen to 44 percent. The share of adults who do some form of sport every week has remained constant in this period.

The questions

1. What keeps people from eating healthier?
2. What is working people’s income?
3. How much of the energy we consume is renewable?
4. What percentage wears glasses?
5. How are the dragonflies and butterflies doing?
6. How many housing units are there?
7. How does home burglary affect people?
8. In what occupations do most people work from home?
9. How much more expensive did food get?
10. How many babies were born to unmarried mothers?
11. From which countries do most immigrants come?
12. How many centenarians are there?
13. How do fathers and mothers divide work and care?
14. How many cars are there?
15. How much milk does a cow produce?
16. What portion of income went to food in 1936?
17. How many pigs were there in 1910?
18. How many cattle and pigs in the Netherlands?
19. What do we import from China?
20. What type of shop is seen less and less?
21. How many nights are spent in Dutch hotels?
22. How often do older people have contact with neighbours?
23. How many adults comply with the physical activity guidelines?
24. Where do international students in the Netherlands come from?
25. What are the major religions?
26. How many litres of water do we use per day?
27. How many millionaires in the Netherlands?
28. How many inhabitants in the Netherlands??
29. Where can we ride our bikes?
30. At what age do workers retire?
31. Which day has the most birthdays?
32. How many people have a student debt?
33. How does CBS handle your privacy?