The economic cost of physical inactivity in Europe

The Centre for Economics and Business Research has conducted research assessing the physical and mental health costs of inactivity for Europe. The total cost to Europe’s economy from inactivity is estimated to be €80.4 billion per year. Based on data from six European countries – France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the UK the total cost of inactivity has been derived from the costs of the four major non-communicable diseases (coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer and breast cancer) attributed to inactivity and indirect costs relating to mood and anxiety disorders.

In Europe 500,000 deaths per year can be attributed to inactivity. If effective interventions could get one fifth of the inactive Europeans to be sufficiently active the financial benefits could amount to €16.1 billion.