Physical activity helps boost economic productivity, the Polish Economic Institute says Poles are more physically active than the average European, a new report has found, with the share of Poland’s population that does not engage in physical activity being among the lowest in the EU. The Polish Economic Institute (PIE), a state-backed economic think tank, said in a report that 18.2% of Polish adults did not engage in any physical activity outside work in 2025, with only six EU countries recording lower figures. Data shows that Poles have become more active in recent years, with the share of the Polish population that did not engage in physical activity six percentage points lower than in 2022, according to the report. While the share of inactive adults was lower in Poland than the EU average across every age group surveyed, the think tank found that younger Poles in particular were more physically active. Only 4.5% of people aged 16-24 did not engage in any physical activity during a typical week in 2025, compared to the EU average of 15.3%. Around 16.4% of Poles engaged in physical activity unrelated to work every day, the report said, which is above the EU average of 14.5% Aside from the obvious health benefits, the institute said that “maintaining good health through regular exercise also has economic significance.” Its research showed that physical activity helps maintain productivity and prevent people from developing conditions that could limit their ability to work. However, the institute found that many people “engage in physical activity relatively infrequently,” and said that physical activities “tailored to less active people and older age groups” should be offered through public programs and initiatives amid an aging population. The think tank’s report also said that there was a correlation between physical activity and income levels, with those earning less being more likely to not be physically active.
Around 16.4% of Poles in 2025 engaged in daily physical activity unrelated to work every day. (NurPhoto/Contributor via Getty Images)
