Four out of five of people now practice a sport, including a growing number of older people, a nationwide study showsExternal link. French- and Italian-speaking sports fans appear to have caught up with their German-speaking neighbours.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/sb
Português
pt
Pesquisa revela que suíços se tornaram mais esportistas
From 2014-2020 the number of people doing no sporting activities at all in Switzerland fell sharply from 26% to 16%, the Federal Sports Office reported on Monday.
The number of people doing sports several times a week also rose from 44% to 51%, the federal survey showed.
The increase is largely due to middle-aged and elderly men and women, it said. Today, women practice sport as often as men, and many start new physical activities from age 45 onwards.
Swiss-German-speaking regions continue to lead the Swiss pack – only 14% say they never do any sports. But French- and Italian-speaking regions have reduced the gap over the past six years. Only 21% say they do no sport at all and in both regions 48% say they do sport several times a week for over three hours in total.
Walking, cycling, swimming, skiing and jogging remain the most popular physical activities. Meanwhile, weight training, yoga and dance activities have gained in popularity.
On average, each resident spends CHF2,000 a year on sports activities.
The survey also revealed that Switzerland came third overall in a Eurobarometer sports and physical activity comparative ranking – behind Finland and Sweden, and ahead of Denmark. Bringing up the rear were Portugal, Greece and Bulgaria.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with his victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Sporting activity grows in popularity in Switzerland
This content was published on
Over three-quarters of Swiss people spend over 2.5 hours a week practising a sporting activity but there are growing regional differences.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.