Seven out of ten Swedes reported hitting the gym or engaging in a bit of sport weekly, putting them high-up among their fellow Scandinavians who appear to work out much more than their southern neighbours – 78 percent of polled Bulgarians said they never exercise at all, with the Maltese not far behind at a 64 percent.
Only 9 percent of Swedes said they never do exercise.
Quite a few Swedes were dedicated enough to pay money to keep fit.
"Respondents in Sweden (33 percent) and Denmark (25 percent) are the most likely to be members at a health or fitness centre," the report authors at the official EU statistics bureau summarized. "Generally speaking, citizens in the northern part of the EU are the most physically active."
Some of it appeared to come down to access to activities. European citizens were asked if they agreed with the statement that their neighbourhood offered facilities or clubs that offered sports and exercise opportunities.
Nine out of ten Swedes said they had many opportunities in their area, to be outdone only by the Dutch (95 percent) and the Danes (92 percent).
Women, however, were less likely to feel that way, which prompted the Eurobarometer researchers to prod the European countries to encourage girls and women to get out more.
But when volunteering climbed over a six-hours-a-month threshold, the Swedes dropped off the top of the list. Forty-five percent of Dutch volunteers, 40 percent of the Brits and 39 percent of the Belgians put in proper hours when volunteering.
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