Estonians are markedly more active physically than Latvians and Lithuanians, according to Eurostat statistics, LSM reports. The data showed that 73.2% of Estonians aged 16 years or older engaged in physical activity outside work at least once a week in 2025, which was down from 82.4% in 2022. By comparison, a mere 52.3% (47.7%) of Lithuanians and 51.9% (45.4%) of Latvians performed physical activity at least once a week. The EU average was 61.6% (57.2%). As for people aged 16-29 years, 85.0% (92.3%) of Estonians, 73.3% (65.1%) of Lithuanians, and 72.1% (70.6%) of Latvians did weekly physical activity in 2025. The EU average in the same age group was 73.1% (70.1%).
Meanwhile, the share of those who never engage in physical activity outside work has increased sharply in Estonia, but has decreased in Latvia and Lithuania, the Eurostat data showed. Altogether 39.3% of Latvians aged 16 years or older said that they never took part in physical activity in 2025, which was down from 44.6% in 2022. Meanwhile, 33.1% (35.9%) of Lithuanians and 19.2% (11.4%) of Estonians never participated in physical activity. The EU average was 26.0% (30.2%). Among people aged 16-29 years, 19.6% (21.2%) never did physical activity in Latvia, 12.7% (18.9%) in Lithuania, and 8.3% (3.3%) in Estonia in 2025. The EU average in the age group was 16.3% (18.5%).