TIME USE ON RECREATION AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
The third Time Use Survey (TUS) was conducted by the ABS in 2006 and collected information about how Australians aged 15 years and over used their time over a two day period. The aim of the survey was to measure people's daily activity patterns, and to provide profiles of how different people balance work, family, leisure and wider community obligations.
In May this year the Sport Unit released a publication entitled Time Use on Recreation and Leisure Activities, 2006 (cat. no. 4173.0), using the results of the 2006 TUS. This publication looks at how people choose to spend their free time, with a particular focus on sport and outdoor activities.
Key findings from the article include:
- Between 1997 and 2006, the amount of time that people spent on sport and outdoor activities decreased by 6 minutes (from 27 minutes to 21 minutes).
- Time spent on audio/visual media activities, which was the most popular recreation and leisure activity reported, increased by 8 minutes a day from 2 hours and 10 minutes a day in 1997 to 2 hours and 18 minutes a day in 2006.
- Men spent an average of 31 minutes per day more than women on recreation and leisure activities in 2006.
- Of all people, those aged between 25 to 44 years spent the least amount of time on sport and outdoor activities (17 minutes).
- In 2006, people living in Queensland spent the most time participating in sport and outdoor activity (25 minutes a day) with South Australians and Victorians spending the least (19 minutes a day).
Further information can be found by going to the ABS website, where this publication and others about people's participation in sport and physical activity can be accessed from the Culture and Recreation
Topics @ a Glance page.
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