Time for recreation and social interaction

Released 15/09/2025

Average time spent on recreation and leisure, and on social and community interaction

Recreation and social interaction enrich people’s lives. Activities including sport, music, socialising and leisure contribute to social cohesion.

In 2020-21, of people aged 15 years and over:

• most (93%) participated in recreation and leisure activities
• around 3 in 5 (56%) participated in social and community interaction. 

Of those who participated, the average time spent on these activities was:

• 4 hours and 23 minutes on recreation and leisure
• 2 hours and 2 minutes on social and community interaction.

In 2020-21, the average time spent on: 

• recreation and leisure was higher for males (4 hours and 45 minutes) than females (4 hours and 2 minutes)
• social and community interaction was similar for males (2 hours and 4 minutes) and females (2 hours).

The gap between males and females is largest for people aged 15 to 24 years, with females spending 1 hour and 32 minutes less time on recreation and leisure than males (3 hours and 58 minutes compared with 5 hours and 30 minutes). Males and females spend similar time on social and community interaction.

People aged 65 years and older spend the highest average time of all age groups on recreation and leisure activities (5 hours and 58 minutes), while time spent on social and community interaction was similar with other age groups.

Further information on how different groups spend time on recreation and social interaction is available via the links below.

Average time spent on recreation and leisure, social and community interaction: ABS Time Use Survey

• Age group
• Sex
• Remoteness
• Labour force status
• Income
• Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
• Educational attainment
• Socioeconomic status
• Living situation
• Health and disability status
• Volunteer status
• Carer status
• Parents.