A group of young children engaging in active play. They are using nerf guns on a sunny day on a field.

Latest Active Lives Data for Children and Young People Released

Date: 5 December 2024 Author: Energise Me

The latest national insight around children and young people’s activity levels in academic year 2023-24 has been released today.

The report by Sport England shows that 47.8% of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity a day.

But significant inequalities remain in activity levels, with Black (42%) and Asian (43%) children and young people, and those from the least affluent families (45%), still less likely to play sport or be physically active than the average across all ethnicities and affluence groups. Girls (45%) are also less likely to be active than boys (51%).

Even more significantly, those with two or more characteristics of inequality, for example Asian girls, or someone less affluent from a Black background, are significantly less likely to be active than their peers with no characteristics of inequality at all.

The report also tackles young people’s relationship with physical activity as well as general wellbeing. It demonstrates how active children are more likely to be happier, have higher self-esteem and be more trusting than inactive children.

Local Insight for Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Local headline data for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight shows that inactivity in our children and young people has increased year on year, with 52.4% not meeting Chief Medical Officer guidelines of an average of 60 mins a day (the figure for academic year 22-23 was 50.2%)

In 2023/24:

47.5% of children and young people were Active
23.8% of children and young people were Fairly Active
28.6% of children and young people were Less Active

For the latest insights broken down into local authority area, inequality data and where activity minutes are being spent, take a look at our We Can Be Active Insights for 2022-23.

We Can Be Active Insight and Strategy

A group of older ladies sat doing chair based exercise in a circle.

We Can Be Active Insights

We Can Be Active Strategy

Positive Early Experiences

Children and young people are a key strand of the We Can Be Active Strategy. There are already lots of people making a difference to young people’s lives across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This latest data is another call to join the movement by:

Co-creating opportunities to be active with children and young people
Helping to embed physical activity across all aspects of school life
Enhancing local provision for young people to be active in their neighbourhoods

Join the movement

A pop up pool in a marquee with colourful bunting hanging from the ceiling.

Pop-up Pool: more stamina, a self-esteem boost, and even better handwriting

Key learnings and insights from a headteacher

Engaging Young People: A toolkit

A resource to help you amplify youth voice.

Empowering Teenage Girls To Advocate For Change

How can we empower young girls to advocate for change?

Active Lives Survey for Children and Young People

The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey is conducted each academic year and measures how young people ages 5-16 engage with sport and physical activity. It covers activity levels, physical literacy, swimming proficiency, wellbeing and levels of confidence and social trust.

Schools are randomly selected to take part, although you can choose to opt in.

Energise Me coordinates the Active Lives survey for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on behalf of Sport England.