What Gets People Moving Around the World?

While global fitness trends show a strong preference for individual exercise, national sporting tastes still vary widely and continue to reflect cultural and regional identities. According to Statista’s Consumer Insights, fitness activities such as aerobics or cardio rank among the most popular across countries, with participation (at least occasional) reaching 42 percent of respondents in China, 34 percent in Brazil and around a quarter in the United States (26 percent) and the United Kingdom (27 percent).

Running and jogging are also widely practiced, particularly in China (39 percent) and Brazil (33 percent), while cycling attracts notable shares in countries like the United Kingdom (21 percent) and Brazil (26 percent). These activities reflect a broader global shift toward accessible, low-cost forms of exercise.

At the same time, traditional sports remain deeply rooted at the national level. Basketball stands out in the United States (34 percent), while American football is also widely played (26 percent). In the United Kingdom, football (soccer) dominates with 35 percent, and the same is true in Brazil, where it leads by a clear margin at 39 percent. In China, by contrast, table tennis (35 percent) and badminton (34 percent) rank among the most popular activities, alongside fitness-oriented exercise.