Third of Romanians do not engage in any type of physical activity, study shows

The Sports Barometer in Romania, a study 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The study also revealed that the most practiced sport in Romania is football (52%).

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.

The data was presented during a special panel moderated by Mihnea Măruţă, with the participation of sociologist Bianca Dobre (IRES research sociologist) and Mirel Alexa (executive director of Sports Festival).

(Photo source: Teerawat Winyarat | Dreamstime.com)