Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep (PASS) Indicators: Key findings
An overview of the latest findings from PASS Indicators.
- Last updated: 2026-01-21
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We live our days in a 24-hour cycle, alternating between periods of physical activity (ranging from low to vigorous intensity activity), sedentary behaviour (like sitting, reclining or lying down while awake) and sleep. We use the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines to understand whether people in Canada are getting the right amount of each of these behaviours:
- just over 1 in 10 (13.6%) adults in Canada meet the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
- fewer than 1 in 5 (18.0%) children and youth in Canada meet the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines
The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines has separate recommendations for the amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep people in Canada should achieve for optimal health. The PASS Indicators provide information on each of these behaviours and the factors that impact them.
Physical activity
Physical activity has benefits for your body and your mind, regardless of age. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) refers to any movement that elevates your heart rate and makes you breathe harder. Every minute spent doing MVPA contributes positively to your health and can boost overall wellbeing in many ways, such as:
- strengthening your heart and lungs
- reducing stress levels
- improving the quality of your sleep
- enhancing balance and coordination
Regular activity plays a role in preventing and managing certain chronic conditions, while supporting the maintenance of a healthy weight.
Overall, the number of minutes of MVPA declined steadily with age:
- children average 65 minutes per day
- youth average 42 minutes per day
- adults aged 18 to 64 years average 27 minutes per day
- adults aged 65 to 79 years average only 17 minutes per day
Children and youth
| At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) per day | |
|---|---|
| Children (aged 5 to 11 years) | 51.8% (average of 65 minutes of MVPA per day) |
| Youth (aged 12 to 17 years) | 20.8% (average of 42 minutes of MVPA per day) |
| Males compared to females, Children | M 66.0% > F 36.6% |
| Males compared to females, Youth | M 32.8% > F 8.4% |
- Significantly more children than youth are meeting physical activity recommendations
- Fewer girls than boys meet the physical activity recommendations, particularly among youth
- Compared with 2018–2019, physical activity has:
- declined by 15 percentage points among youth aged 12 to 17 years (from 35.6% to 20.8%)
- remained stable among children aged 5 to 11 years
Adults
| At least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) per week | |
|---|---|
| Adults (aged 18 to 64 years) | 50.2% (average of 190 minutes of MVPA per week) |
| Older adults (aged 65 to 79 years) | 29.8% (average of 121 minutes of MVPA per week) |
| Males compared to females, Adults | M 57.8% = F 42.2% |
| Males compared to females, Older adults | M 32.6% = F 27.0% |
- Compared to adults aged 18 to 64 years, fewer adults aged 65 to 79 years meet the physical activity recommendations
- Differences in activity levels between men and women decrease with age
- Compared to 2018–2019, physical activity among adults has remained stable
Long term trends: 2009 to 2019
Between 2009 and 2019, the number of people in Canada meeting the aerobic physical activity recommendation was stable for all age groups except for older adults. The number of older adults meeting the recommendations increased during this time period (from 19% to 30%).
Active travel, sport, and play
People in Canada are active at home, at work or school and in their communities. By monitoring behaviours like active transportation and sport, we get a better understanding of when, where and how people in Canada are getting physical activity.
Active transportation
Using active modes of transportation, such as walking, wheeling or cycling, are an important opportunity to increase physical activity and improve cardiorespiratory fitnessFootnote 1.
- In 2021, 2 in 5 (41.7%) adults in Canada and 3 in 5 (61.0%) youth reported using active ways to get places like work or school.
- Active transportation has declined since 2018; the most significant drop is among youth with a decline of almost 15 percentage points (76% in 2018 to 61% in 2021).
Bike routes
Safe and comfortable bike routes are essential to increase rates of active transportation. In 2025, we added a new PASS Indicator that classifies cycling infrastructure based on comfort and safety. It uses the Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety (Can-BICS) classification system. The indicator uses data from 30 key Canadian cities across every province. Across these cities, there was an average of 54.2 kilometers of comfortable and safe cycling infrastructure per 100,000 population. This baseline estimate is a starting point to monitor cycling infrastructure in Canada.
Sport participation and play in children and youth
Organized sports and unstructured play are important opportunities for children and youth to be physically active. Regularly participating in sports or free play is associated with:
- higher levels of physical activity
- lower levels of sedentary behaviour
- overall better mental healthFootnote 2Footnote 3
About half of children and youth (56.0%) participated in organized sports with a coach or instructor in the past week. Children reported 2.3 hours and youth 3.5 hours of organized sport per week.
Children reported an average of 3.2 hours per week of unstructured free play outside of school. Children reported an average of 7.7 hours per week and youth an average of 5.4 hours per week participating in outdoor physical activity during their free time.
Sedentary behaviour
Activities that require very little movement, such as sitting, reclining or lying down, are sedentary behaviours. Common sedentary behaviours include:
- watching television
- sitting at a desk
- driving in an automobile
Research shows that sedentary behaviour is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and other poor health outcomesFootnote 4.
Children and youth
| 2 hours or less of recreational screen time per day | |
|---|---|
| Children (aged 5 to 11 years) | 61.5% (average of 2.1 hours spent sedentary per day) |
| Youth (aged 12 to 17 years) | 27.8% (average of 3.5 hours spent sedentary per day) |
| Males compared to females, Children | M 59.8% = F 63.4% |
| Males compared to females, Youth | M 27.6% = F 27.9% |
- Compared to children, fewer youth limit their daily recreational screen time to 2 hours or less
- Overall, recreational screen time is not different between boys and girls
- Compared with 2018–2019, the percent of those who limit recreational screen time to 2 hours or less per day has:
- declined among children (from 72.9% to 61.5%)
- stayed the same among youth
Adults
| 8 hours or less of sedentary time* including no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time per day | |
|---|---|
| Adults (aged 18 to 64 years) | 27.5% (average of 9.3 hours spent on sedentary time and 3.5 hours spent on recreational screen time per day) |
| Older adults (aged 65 to 79 years) | 21.8% (average of 9.5 hours spent on total sedentary and 4.0 hours spent on recreational screen time per day) |
| Males compared to females, Adults | M 20.7% = F 34.8% |
| Males compared to females, Older adults | M 17.1% = F 26.7% |
*Based on the surveillance recommendationsFootnote 5, this indicator was operationalized using accelerometer-measured sedentary time with a cut-point of 9 hours or less.
- Overall, there is no difference in the amount of time adults aged 18 to 64 years and older adults aged 65 to 79 years spend in sedentary activities.
- More women than men meet the sedentary behaviour recommendations for both total sedentary time and recreational screen time.
- Compared to 2018 to 2019, the percentage of adults who limit sedentary time to 8 hours or less increased (from 30.2% to 42.1%) while the percentage who limit recreational screen time to 3 hours or less remained stable.
Sleep
Sleep supports healthy brain function and plays a vital role in good health and well-being. Not getting enough sleep is associated with negative health outcomes, including chronic diseases, poor mental health and increased chance of deathFootnote 6.
Children and youth
|
|
|---|---|
| Children (aged 5 to 11 years) | 90.8% (average of 10.2 hours per night) |
| Youth (aged 12 to 17 years) | 63.0% (average of 8.8 hours per night) |
| Males compared to females, Children | M 91.5% = F 90.0% |
| Males compared to females, Youth | M 66.6% = F 59.1% |
- Most parents report that their children aged 5 to 11 get enough sleep each night to meet sleep duration recommendations
- Among youth, the proportion who report getting enough hours of sleep to meet the recommendation is much lower compared to children
- Boys and girls are equally likely to meet sleep recommendations
- Compared to 2014–2015, the percentage of children and youth who met the sleep recommendations:
- increased among children (from 83.9% to 90.8%)
- did not change among youth
Adults
|
|
|---|---|
| Adults (aged 18 to 64 years) | 80.7% (average of 8.0 hours per night) |
| Older adults (aged 65 to 79 years) | 61.0% (average of 7.9 hours per night) |
| Males compared to females, Adults | M 76.7% = F 84.7% |
| Males compared to females, Older adults | M 65.8% = F 56.2% |
- Fewer adults aged 65 to 79 years than adults aged 18 to 64 years meet the sleep recommendation.
- Males and females are equally likely to meet the sleep recommendation.
- Since 2014–2015, the percentage of adults who meet the sleep recommendations has not changed.
More information
Explore the Data Tool for detailed information and data breakdowns for each indicator.
Suggested citation
Center for Surveillance and Applied Research, Public Health Agency of Canada. Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep (PASS) Indicators, 2025 Edition. Health Infobase. Ottawa (ON): Public Health Agency of Canada, 2025.
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