There is no single magic number, but research points to roughly 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day depending on age. A 2022 meta-analysis of 15 cohorts covering about 47,000 adults found that the risk of death kept falling as daily steps rose, leveling off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps for adults 60 and older and 8,000 to 10,000 steps for adults under 60.
Even modest gains matter: people in the second-lowest group (a median of about 5,800 steps) had a 40% lower adjusted mortality risk than those averaging about 3,500 steps. The popular 10,000-step goal is a reasonable target, but benefits start well below it.
Source: Paluch et al., Daily steps and all-cause mortality, The Lancet Public Health (2022)