Table 1.
Country, tool and daily sitting time reported by World Health Organisation Region
| Region | Country | World Bank Income Classificationa | Population in 2015 (thousands) | Samplec | Measurement Method | Sample size | Age (range) | Year of publication | Year(s) of Data Collection | Mean daily sitting time (mins) | Lower 95% CI (mins) |
Upper 95% CI (mins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFRO | Benin | Low | 10,576 | National | GPAQ | 5116 | 18–69 | 2016 | 2015 | 209 | 191 | 228 |
| Kenya | Lower-middle | 47,236 | Subnational | GPAQ | 5190 | 18+ | 2016 | 2008–2009 | 203 | 200 | 207 | |
| Uganda | Low | 40,145 | National | GPAQ | 3281 | 18–69 | 2015 | 2014 | 166 | 158 | 174 | |
| Burkina Faso | Low | 18,111 | National | GPAQ | 4691 | 25–64 | 2014 | 2013 | 238 | 229 | 247 | |
| Malawi | Low | 17,574 | National | GPAQ | 5204 | 25–64 | 2010 | 2009 | 157 | 148 | 165 | |
| Tanzania (includes Zanzibar) | Low | 53,880 | National | GPAQ | 5762 | 25–64 | 2013 | 2012 | 132 | 125 | 139 | |
| Botswana | Upper-middle | 2209 | National | GPAQ | 4055 | 15–69 | 2015 | 2014 | 198 | 187 | 209 | |
| Ethiopia | Low | 99,873 | National | GPAQ | 9790 | 15–69 | 2015 | 2015 | 160 | 154 | 167 | |
| Total | 289,604 | 43,089 | ||||||||||
| EMRO | Qatar | High | 2482 | National | GPAQ | 2496 | 18–64 | 2012 | 2012 | 245 | 209 | 280 |
| Iran (Iran, Islamic Rep.) | Upper-middle | 79,360 | National | GPAQ | 14,930 | 15–64 | 2009 | 2009 | 267 | 259 | 275 | |
| Saudi Arabia (Combined) | High | 31,557 | National | GPAQ | 9371 | 15+ | 2013 | 2012 | 333 | 329 | 337 | |
| Pakistan | Lower-middle | 189,381 | National | GPAQ | 7358 | 18–69 | 2016 | 2013–2014 | 223 | 220 | 226 | |
| Oman | High | 4200 | National | GPAQ | 2977 | 18+ | 2017 | 2008 | 225 | 220 | 230 | |
| Iraq | Upper-middle | 36,116 | National | GPAQ | 3988 | 18+ | 2016 | 2015–2016 | 325 | 308 | 342 | |
| Kuwait | High | 3936 | National | GPAQ | 3915 | 18–69 | 2015 | 2014 | 223 | 218 | 228 | |
| Lebanon | Upper-middle | 5851 | Subnational | GPAQ | 1973 | 25–64 | 2010 | 2008–2009 | 587 | 574 | 601 | |
| Total | 352,883 | 47,008 | ||||||||||
| EURO | Latvia | High | 1993 | National | IPAQ-short | 991 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 296 | 287 | 305 |
| Italy | High | 59,504 | National | IPAQ-short | 985 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 302 | 293 | 311 | |
| Belgium | High | 11,288 | National | IPAQ-short | 996 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 308 | 299 | 317 | |
| Slovakia (Slovak Republic) | High | 5439 | National | IPAQ-short | 994 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 314 | 306 | 323 | |
| Great Britain | Highb | 65,397 | National | IPAQ-short | 1008 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 296 | 287 | 305 | |
| France | High | 64,457 | National | IPAQ-short | 1008 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 287 | 278 | 296 | |
| Malta | High | 428 | National | IPAQ-short | 500 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 278 | 265 | 292 | |
| Romania | Upper-middle | 19,877 | National | IPAQ-short | 953 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 257 | 246 | 268 | |
| Slovenia | High | 2075 | National | IPAQ-short | 1035 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 285 | 275 | 294 | |
| Northern Ireland | Highb | 1852 | National | IPAQ-short | 302 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 279 | 264 | 294 | |
| Switzerland | High | 8320 | National | IPAQ-long | 2730 | 18–60 | 2016 | 2010–2011 | 366 | 359 | 373 | |
| Portugal | High | 10,418 | National | IPAQ-short | 1048 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 274 | 265 | 284 | |
| Spain | High | 46,398 | National | IPAQ-short | 1020 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 275 | 267 | 283 | |
| Croatia | High | 4236 | National | IPAQ-short | 1016 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 285 | 275 | 294 | |
| Netherlands | High | 16,938 | National | IPAQ-short | 1038 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 394 | 386 | 402 | |
| Greenlandd | High | 56 | National | IPAQ-long | 2122 | 18+ | 2017 | 2014 | 312 | . | . | |
| Lithuania | High | 2932 | National | IPAQ-short | 1001 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 292 | 284 | 301 | |
| Cyprus (republic of) | High | 1161 | National | IPAQ-short | 500 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 283 | 270 | 297 | |
| Denmark | High | 5689 | National | IPAQ-short | 995 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 355 | 347 | 364 | |
| Austria | High | 8679 | National | IPAQ-short | 984 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 318 | 310 | 326 | |
| Ireland | High | 4700 | National | IPAQ-short | 994 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 280 | 271 | 288 | |
| Poland | High | 38,265 | National | IPAQ-short | 913 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 282 | 272 | 293 | |
| Sweden | High | 9764 | National | IPAQ-short | 1031 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 346 | 338 | 354 | |
| Bulgaria | Upper-middle | 7177 | National | IPAQ-short | 940 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 325 | 316 | 334 | |
| Greece | High | 11,218 | National | IPAQ-short | 1003 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 338 | 329 | 346 | |
| Hungary | High | 9784 | National | IPAQ-short | 997 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 279 | 270 | 288 | |
| Czech Republic | High | 10,604 | National | IPAQ-short | 993 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 340 | 330 | 349 | |
| Estonia | High | 1315 | National | IPAQ-short | 983 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 328 | 319 | 337 | |
| Germany | High | 81,708 | National | IPAQ-short | 1545 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 304 | 297 | 311 | |
| Finland | High | 5482 | National | IPAQ-short | 1009 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 299 | 291 | 308 | |
| Luxembourg | High | 567 | National | IPAQ-short | 494 | 15+ | 2018 | 2017 | 297 | 284 | 310 | |
| Total | 517,721 | 32,128 | ||||||||||
| PAHO | Chile | High | 17,763 | National | GPAQ | 5031 | 18+ | 2017 | 2009–2010 | 171 | 167 | 175 |
| Trinidad/Tobago | High | 1360 | National | GPAQ | 2691 | 15–64 | 2012 | 2010–2011 | 235 | 224 | 246 | |
| Mexico | Upper-middle | 125,891 | National | IPAQ-short | 13,009 | 20–69 | 2016 | 2012 | 210 | 210 | 210 | |
| United States (Combined) | High | 319,929 | National | IPAQ-shorta “similar” | 5911 | 20+ | 2014 | 2009–2010 | 284 | 278 | 289 | |
| Virgin Islands | High | 135 | National | GPAQ | 1102 | 25–64 | 2010 | 2009 | 246 | 230 | 261 | |
| Total | 465,078 | 27,744 | ||||||||||
| SEARO | Sri Lanka | Upper-middle | 20,714 | National | GPAQ | 5169 | 18–69 | 2015 | 2014–2015 | 216 | 205 | 227 |
| Maldives | Upper-middle | 418 | Subnational | GPAQ | 1780 | 15–64 | 2014 | 2011 | 303 | 292 | 313 | |
| Bangladesh | Lower-middle | 161,201 | National | GPAQ | 4312 | 25+ | 2010 | 2009–2010 | 168 | 164 | 172 | |
| Bhutan | Lower-middle | 787 | National | GPAQ | 2912 | 18–69 | 2015 | 2014 | 148 | 139 | 157 | |
| Total | 183,120 | 14,173 | ||||||||||
| WPRO | Vietnam | Lower-middle | 93,572 | National | GPAQ | 3750 | 18–69 | 2016 | 2015 | 243 | 233 | 253 |
| Samoa | Upper-middle | 194 | National | GPAQ | 1765 | 18–64 | 2014 | 2013 | 175 | 166 | 185 | |
| Vanuatu | Lower-middle | 265 | National | GPAQ | 4538 | 25–64 | 2013 | 2011–2012 | 152 | 143 | 161 | |
| Tonga | Upper-middle | 106 | National | GPAQ | 2450 | 25–64 | 2014 | 2012 | 164 | 157 | 170 | |
| South Korea (Korea Republic) | High | 50,594 | National | IPAQ-long | 4145 | 20+ | 2017 | 2014 | 431 | 425 | 438 | |
| China | Upper-middle | 1,397,029 | Subnational | GPAQ | 98,424 | 18+ | 2012 | 2010 | 162 | 161 | 163 | |
| Total | 1,541,760 | 115,072 |
Abbreviations 95%CI 95% Confidence Intervals, IPAQ International Physical Activity Questionaire, GPAQ Global Physical Activity Questionaire, Mins minutes, WPRO Western Pacific Regional Office, SEARO South East Asia Regional Office, PAHO Region of the Americas, EMRO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, AFRO African Regional Office, EURO European Regional Office
aWorld Bank classifications for country income status for 2020 fiscal year [31]
bFor Northern Ireland, the Office of National Statistics 2015 population statistic was used. The population of the United Kingdom was used for Great Britain
cNational samples were those who described a country-wide sampling frame. Sub-national samples were those who selected only certain cities or regions to sample from
dGreenland reported no measure of variability (i.e. interquartile range, 95% CI, SD or Standard Error) so only a mean was extracted