Third of Romanians do not engage in any type of physical activity, study shows
<p>The Sports Barometer in Romania, <a href="https://ires.ro/uploads/articole/ires_sports-festival_barometrul-sportului-in-romania-2025.pdf">a study</a> conducted by IRES and presented on Thursday, June 12, during the Sports Festival, reveals that 32% of Romanians do not engage in any type of physical activity, and that as age increases motivation drastically decreases.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to the study, 28% of Romanians are super-active and do a form of exercise, including walking, 5 times a week or more. Another 41% do so 3-4 times a week. The remaining roughly 32% do not do any sort of exercise.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As for the reason why they do not practice any sport, 42% of Romanians say that they lack the time. Nevertheless, 68% say they wish they had more physical activity in the past 12 months.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, access to sports infrastructure near the home is reported as limited by about half of respondents. Pursuant to that, only 15% of respondents without a gym membership intend to purchase one in the next 12 months. Finally, almost 1 in 5 Romanians (18%) have experienced negative emotions (shame, fear, discomfort) in public spaces when trying to exercise or play sports.</p>
<p>Over three-quarters (78%) of Romanians believe that sports and a healthy lifestyle are insufficiently promoted in Romania. Only 19% of respondents consider that their local authorities are making enough efforts to encourage sports. Finally, 68% of Romanians state that they practice some form of physical activity or sport, and only 18% of them engage in an organized sport at least once a week.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The study also revealed that the most practiced sport in Romania is football (52%).&nbsp;</p>
<p>The findings are the result of a nationwide opinion poll including 1,085 Romanian adults. The survey’s margin of error is ±3%. Data was collected in April and May 2025 through a telephone questionnaire.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The data was presented during a special panel moderated by Mihnea Măruță, with the participation of sociologist Bianca Dobre (IRES research sociologist) and Mirel Alexa (executive director of Sports Festival).&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><a href="mailto:radu@romania-insider.com">radu@romania-insider.com</a></em></p>
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