4156.0 - Sports and Physical Recreation: A Statistical Overview, Australia, 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 23/10/2009   
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TIME SPENT BY ALL PERSONS

The 2006 Time Use Survey found that, on average, Australians aged 15 years and over spent 4 hours 56 minutes (or 21%) of each day on free time. As the main activity, males spent 24 minutes more on free time than females.

Overall, most free time was spent on recreation and leisure (87% of free time or 4 hours 13 minutes per day) leaving 13% or 43 minutes for social and community interaction. Over half (55% or 2 hours 20 minutes) of recreation and leisure time was spent on audio/visual media. In comparison, 7.5% (19 minutes) of recreation and leisure time was spent on Sport and outdoor activity. Males tended to spend more time on Sport and outdoor activity than females (23 minutes compared with 16 minutes).

4.1 AVERAGE TIME SPENT ON FREE TIME ACTIVITIES, Main activities by sex, All persons(a) - 2006

Males
Females
Persons
Purpose of activities
minutes per day
minutes per day
minutes per day

Social and community interaction
Socialising
10
10
10
Visiting entertainment and cultural venues
3
5
4
Attendance at sports events
2
1
2
Religious activities / ritual ceremonies
3
5
4
Other
20
26
23
Total
40
47
43
Recreation and leisure
Sport and outdoor activity
23
16
19
Games, hobbies, arts, crafts
9
11
10
Reading
21
25
23
Audio / visual media
158
123
140
Attendance at recreational courses (excluding school and university)
-
1
1
Talking (including phone) or writing / reading own correspondence
24
36
30
Other
33
26
29
Total
269
237
253
Total free time
308
284
296

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Refers to persons aged 15 years and over on a single day.
Source: How Australians Use Their Time, 2006 (cat. no. 4153.0).


The Time Use Survey collected data about time spent on 'main activities' and time spent on 'all activities'. Main activities are those activities reported as the main activity in a particular time period as shown in Table 4.1. In contrast, all activities include those activities that were undertaken simultaneously with a main activity in a specified period as shown in Table 4.2. Respondents could record up to two activities as being undertaken in the same time period, for example, attending a sporting event with family or friends.







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