Over three-quarters of Swiss people spend over 2.5 hours a week practising a sporting activity but there are growing regional differences.

New data from the Federal Statistics Office shows that 76% of people surveyed follow the 2.5-hour-per-week recommendation by sports organisations – a 13% increase compared to 2002.

The percentage of those who admit to no physical activity dropped from 18% to 8% during the same period, according to a statement published on Friday.

Men are generally sportier than women, and people in German-speaking Switzerland are more active than their compatriots in the French- and Italian-language regions. Those with higher professional qualifications were also more active than low-skilled residents, OFS said.

The range of sporting activities also varies over time. While about 57% of male teenagers work out at least twice a week, the percentage drops to 27% among the 55- to 64-year-olds.

But it increases to 32% among those between 65 and 75, according to the study.

The latest data from 2017 is based on nearly 21,000 respondents from the age of 15 onwards.