Objective In order to thoroughly implement the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Sports, the National Fitness Regulations, the Provisions on the Work of National Physical Fitness Surveillance, and other relevant requirements, and to comprehensively and timely understand the status and change patterns of Chinese nationals’ physical fitness.
Methods The General Administration of Sport of China, in collaboration with eight other ministries, conducted the Sixth China National Physical Fitness Surveillance in 2025 across 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). A total of 243 585 valid samples were included, and the surveillance encompassed both physical fitness testing and questionnaire surveys.
Results In 2025, the overall national physical fitness qualification rate was 84.9%, with the excellent-good rate at 30.9%. Among different population groups, young children had the highest qualification rate (86.7%) and excellent-good rate (33.8%), followed by the elderly (qualification rate at 86.1% and excellent-good rate at 33.3%), while adults had the lowest (qualification rate at 84.5% and excellent-good rate at 30.2%). The qualification rate for females (85.2%) was slightly higher than that for males (84.7%), but the excellent-good rate (30.6%) was slightly lower than that for males (31.3%). Analysis of influencing factors showed that, at the behavioral level, individuals who met the recommended standard of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had higher physical fitness qualification rates and excellent-good rates than those who did not; similarly, those who participated in regular physical exercise had higher qualification rates and excellent-good rates than non-exercisers. Among the elderly, each additional hour of daily sedentary time was associated with a 1.0 percentage point decrease in the excellent-good rate. At the interpersonal level, children whose caregivers exercised regularly and elderly individuals not living alone had notably higher fitness levels. At the environmental level, the urban-rural gap continued to narrow, yet regional disparities persisted, with the qualification rate in the eastern region (89.9%) higher than that in the western region (81.3%); provinces in the top tertile of per capita sports venue area had a qualification rate 7.6 percentage points higher than those in the bottom tertile. Regarding the association between physical fitness and health, individuals with excellent-good fitness had significantly lower proportions of high medical expenditure, and lower risks of falls, depression, and cognitive impairment among the elderly, compared to those with unqualified fitness.
Conclusions During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the physical fitness level of Chinese nationals steadily improved, driven by the synergy of environmental support, and behavioral change. However, structural issues such as the continuous decline in adult muscular strength and unbalanced regional development remain to be addressed. Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period, priority should be given to strengthening interventions for national muscular fitness, promoting balanced regional development, and deepening the integration of physical fitness surveillance with health services.
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