Abstract There is convincing evidence in the scientific literature of the effectiveness of regular physical activity and physical exercise in the conservation of health and the prevention of various ailments. However, studies into the association between costs of medical services and physical inactivity have not been duly addressed. International studies have quantified these costs and revealed the association between physical activity and/or sedentary behavior. Therefore, this review sought to gather information available from several countries and analyze the global costs associated with physical inactivity over the past few decades. The results of twenty-four original and well-researched articles in nine countries, including Brazil, were analyzed. The results showed that physical inactivity, irrespective of the method of classification, is burdensome to the economy of health worldwide, and directly responsible for the high cost of medication, the incidence of hospitalization and the frequency of medical appointments. The costs of the group of the physically inactive population affected by chronic diseases feature among the major components of the total costs involved in public health.