Brits get 3 hours and 44 minutes a day of free time, figures show

Brits get three hours and 44 minutes a day of free time – and spend two hours and 16 minutes of it watching TV… as official figures show we are WFH just as much as at the height of Covid

• Total amount of free time enjoyed by Brits found to be less than in March 2020

Britons enjoy less than four hours a day of free time – of which they spend more than two hours watching TV, official figures have shown.

The Office for National Statistics found UK adults spend an average of three hours and 44 minutes each day on entertainment, socialising and other free time activities.

The figures, from March this year, showed a majority of this time (two hours and 16 minutes) was spent watching TV, while 33 minutes was used to spend time with other people.

The total amount of free time enjoyed by Britons, after sleep and rest, was found to be less than the average of four hours and 30 minutes in March 2020 – at the start of the Covid pandemic.

The ONS study also showed, in March this year, Britons were working from home (an average of 49 minutes a day) just as much as they were in March 2020 (an average of 47 minutes a day).

The ONS figures, from their time use survey, showed Britons spent an average of eight hours and 56 minutes sleeping and resting each day 

UK adults spend an average of three hours and 44 minutes each day on entertainment, socialising and other free time activities – including two hours and 16 minutes watching TV

The ONS figures, from their time use survey, showed Britons spent an average of eight hours and 56 minutes sleeping and resting each day.

Around 9 in 10 adults spent at least 10 minutes each day doing unpaid household work (92 per cent) and engaging in entertainment, socialising, and free time activities (89 per cent) in March 2023.

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) spent at least 10 minutes a day travelling and one-quarter (25 per cent) took part in exercise, sporting, or well-being activities.

The pattern of time use over the average 24-hour day in March 2023 was broadly similar between employed men and women – although men spent more time doing paid work and women spent more time doing unpaid household work and care.

When compared to March 2020, the ONS found significant increases in the average daily time spent travelling – rising from 17 minutes in March 2020 to 61 minutes in March this year.

There were also significant increases in the time spent working away from home (from one hour and 36 minutes in March 2020 to two hours and seven minutes in March this year).

Almost two-thirds (64 per cent) spent at least 10 minutes a day travelling and one-quarter (25 per cent) took part in exercise, sporting, or well-being activities

The average time spent working from home in March 2020 was 47 minutes, which then peaked in March 2021 at one hour and nine minutes

The average time spent working from home in March 2020 was 47 minutes, which then peaked in March 2021 at one hour and nine minutes.

It then decreased significantly to 49 minutes in March this year.

Among those who were retired, most of their time in March 2023 was spent doing unpaid work (three hours and 51 minutes), entertainment and leisure activities (three hours and 16 minutes) and watching television (three hours and one minute).

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