Sitting is the new smoking: Germans are putting their health at risk!

Sitting is the new smoking: Germans are putting their health at risk!

On August 4, 2025, DKV Deutsche Krankenversicherung AG, the German Sport University Cologne and the University of Würzburg presented the DKV Report 2025, which comprehensively examines the health behavior of Germans. Since 2010, the survey has analyzed aspects such as physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and stress behavior. The results show that the population's sitting behavior has developed negatively, revealing alarming implications for health.

The DKV Report 2025 documents an increase in average sitting time in Germany to 613 minutes per day, compared to 598 minutes in 2023. This means that Germans spend over 10 hours sitting on weekdays, almost two hours more than a decade ago. What is particularly worrying is that only 30% of “heavy sitters” compensate for their long periods of sitting with sufficient physical activity. In addition, 37% of those surveyed stated that their sitting and exercise habits increased their risk of death.

Health behavior in view

Less than 2% of Germans live a holistically healthy life, with 3% of women and only 1% of men meeting all the criteria for a healthy life. Despite positive health indicators, only 34% of respondents meet the requirements for a healthy diet. The feeling of stress is also an issue: only 20% of those surveyed rate their stress level as harmless. When it comes to physical activity, 34% meet the WHO recommendation of muscle activity at least twice a week.

Furthermore, the results show that 59% of respondents report a positive sense of well-being, with men and older people tending to score higher. Of those over 66, an impressive 74% report increased subjective well-being, while only 49% of those aged 30 to 45 do so. Surprisingly, 35% of the total population have excellent digital health literacy, with this number increasing with level of education. Yet 58% are unsure about the trustworthiness of digital health information.

Trends in health information

The Healthcare Report 2025, which examines how consumers deal with complaints, medications and health information, sheds additional light on the health status of Germans. Of particular note is the trend of increasing use of nutritional supplements and a growing distrust of digital information from various sources, including Google and social media. The report also highlights the challenges associated with the implementation of e-prescriptions and electronic health records, as well as the untapped potential in digital healthcare.

A deeper analysis of digital health literacy in Germany comes from Dratva J., Schaeffer D. and Zeeb H. in their publication from 2024. This study describes the current status and existing challenges in the area of ​​digital health literacy and illustrates how important it is to better educate the population about digital health resources.

The DKV Report 2025 is based on a survey that was carried out between February 11 and March 17, 2025 and included over 2,800 people. Despite the high participation rates, financial barriers and a lack of awareness of prevention services remain obstacles that must be overcome to promote a healthier society. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken to improve the health behavior of Germans and meet the challenges in the area of ​​digital health.

For more information, see DKV Report 2025, Healthcare Report 2025 and Digital health literacy.