The results of the Sixth Beijing Municipal National Physical Fitness Monitoring Survey have been officially published.
The survey, conducted from March to November 2025, was a collaborative effort by eight municipal departments, including the sports and education bureaus. It aimed to comprehensively assess the current physical health status of the city's residents, understand trends in physical fitness development, and provide a robust data foundation for formulating public health and fitness policies. The survey employed a multi-stage, stratified, cluster random sampling method across all 16 districts of the city, collecting valid data from 61,963 individuals, including children, adults, and the elderly.
The methodology combined physical fitness tests with health questionnaires. The physical tests measured 25 indicators across three categories: body morphology, physiological function, and physical fitness. The questionnaires focused on exercise habits, physical activity, and general health status, creating a link between fitness data and health behaviors. For the first time, the entire data collection process was fully electronic with real-time on-site quality control to ensure the data's authenticity and scientific accuracy.
A key finding is the introduction of a new core metric: the "National Physical Fitness Excellence Rate." The survey reveals that 45.2% of Beijing's residents achieved an excellent physical fitness rating, while the overall qualification rate reached 93.5%. Both figures are above the national average.
The data indicates positive trends in the physical development of Beijing's residents. Significant improvements were observed in the fitness levels of both the elderly and children. Overall fitness levels for both urban and rural residents showed positive development, with qualification rates rising compared to 2020, and rural residents demonstrating a greater rate of improvement, now surpassing their urban counterparts. Furthermore, the issue of adult obesity has seen some alleviation, with rates of overweight and obesity generally declining since 2020.
However, the survey also highlighted areas requiring attention. Notably, adult muscular strength, as represented by grip strength, has shown a continuous declining trend since 2000, a problem particularly pronounced among men.
The findings clearly outline both the strengths and areas for improvement in the capital's resident fitness. Moving forward, Beijing will use this data to guide more targeted public fitness services. Key initiatives will include focusing on specific groups by promoting motor skill development in children, workplace fitness programs for professionals, and community health initiatives for the elderly. Efforts will also be made to bridge the urban-rural gap by continuing to improve urban fitness while prioritizing the enhancement of public sports facilities in rural areas. Additionally, the city plans to strengthen scientific fitness guidance, promoting targeted exercise methods to address common issues like declining muscular strength and building a closed-loop service system encompassing monitoring, assessment, guidance, and feedback.
Beijing will continue to deepen the application of the national fitness monitoring results, working to refine a high-level public fitness service system. The goal is to steadily improve the overall physical fitness of the city's residents, build core competencies in using exercise to promote health, and contribute to the national objectives of building a Healthy China and a leading sporting nation.