Only 3% of Women Tried Running; Participation Among Women in Their 20s Plummets by 30%... Japan Stunned by Unprecedented Results

Number of Japanese Adults Who Jog or Run Drops by 3 Million in Four Years
Women's Participation Hits Record Low
Smartphone Activities Blamed for Decline in Leisure-Time Exercise

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Pexels

As more people are spending time browsing smartphones and social networking services (SNS), the adult jogging and running population in Japan has decreased by 3 million over the past four years. The participation rate among women has dropped to its lowest level since records began.

On October 9 (local time), Jiji Press reported that the Sasakawa Sports Foundation released its "Sports Life Data 2024," which surveyed the exercise habits of men and women aged 18 and older.

According to the report, 7.4% of those aged 20 and older jog or run at least once a year, which translates to approximately 7.58 million people. This is 2.8 percentage points lower than the record high in 2020, representing a decrease of about 3 million people.

The participation rate for jogging and running was 11.4% among men and 3.3% among women. Notably, the rate among women was the lowest since the survey began in 1998. By age group, the participation rate among women in their 20s has plummeted to about one-third of the 2020 level.

The survey was conducted from June to July last year, targeting 3,000 men and women aged 18 and older nationwide.

A foundation official analyzed, "Due to changes in lifestyle, the increasing variety of leisure activities such as SNS, smartphone games, and video streaming appears to have contributed to the overall decline in participation in exercise and sports."