According to this Eurobarometer, these 68% of Portuguese people constitute the highest rate in the European Union (EU), well above the average of the 27 member states (39%).

Physical activity in Portugal

In Portugal, only 4% of respondents say they practice sports daily (the lowest rate in the EU), with 24% reporting they do so several times a week and 4% rarely.

When asked whether they usually do any physical activity in a non-sporting context, such as cycling to work or dancing, Portugal again ranks last: 51% say they never do so, compared with a European average of 18%.

When asked why they don't practice sports more regularly, 39% of respondents in Portugal cited a lack of motivation, 31% cited professional, school, or family reasons due to lack of time, and 11% indicated that they don't do so because of health problems.

Demographic terms

In terms of demographics, men over 75 in Portugal are the least likely to do sports (95% say they never do), followed by men between 65 and 74 years old (87%), women over 75 (86%), and men between 55 and 64 years old (83%).

Among men aged 25 to 34, 51% say they never do sports, down to 44% among women of the same age.

The most active age group in Portugal is young people aged 15 to 24: 85% of boys say they play sports, compared with 63% of girls.

Despite being the country where the population claims to do the least physical activity, there has been a slight positive trend in Portugal: compared to the last Eurobarometer on the subject, released in April 2022, the rate of respondents in Portugal who say they never practice sports has fallen by about five percentage points (it was 73% in 2022).

Conversely, the rate of respondents who say they practice physical activity several times a week has risen by six percentage points (it was 18% in 2022).

Benefits of sport

Portugal is also one of the EU countries where the population sees the most benefits in sports activity: 98% of respondents consider that it contributes to improving mental health, 93% that it is important for developing a sense of community and 88% that it contributes to the well-being of marginalised groups – rates that are all above the European average.

At the community level, the countries where the population claims to be most active are the Netherlands (92% of respondents report doing sports daily or several times a week), Denmark (88%) and Lithuania (85%).

In a statement released regarding this Eurobarometer, the European Commission says there is an “increase in sports practice” in the EU compared to 2022.

“The percentage of citizens who practice sports several times a week rose to 36% (up six percentage points). At the same time, the percentage of citizens who never exercise or practice sports fell from 45% in 2022 to 39% this year,” indicates the EU executive.

This Eurobarometer was based on interviews with 26,421 European citizens, conducted between 9 April and 4 May. In Portugal, 1,031 citizens were interviewed between April 9 and 29.

The Eurobarometer is released on the eve of the start of the European Week of Sport, an initiative of the European Commission aimed at encouraging Europeans to do more sport.