Taking Part 2014/15, Focus On:
Free Time Activities
Statistical Release
November 2015
1.25 Department for Culture, Media and Sport Taking Part – Statistical Release
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Introduction This report This report is one in a series of ten “Taking Part, Focus On” reports, presenting findings on the tenth year of the Taking Part survey (2014/15). Taking Part is a continuous face to face household survey of adults aged 16 years and over and children aged 5 to 15 years old in England. The series expands on and complements the Statistical Release published on 25th June 2015 that presented headline adult findings from the survey, covering April 2014 to March 2015. The “Focus On” series looks in more detail at specific topics, with each report covering one of the following areas:
1) Art forms 2) Sport 3) Heritage 4) Free time activities 5) Barriers to participation 6) Society 7) Wellbeing 8) Digital engagement 9) Newspaper readership 10) First World War Centenary
This Focus On… Free Time Activities report examines how adults spend their free time and the activities they enjoy participating in: for example arts, sports, visiting museums and galleries, visiting heritage sites and going to the library. It also looks at specific activities such as newspaper readership and internet use, which are covered in more detail in the Focus On… Digital Engagement and Focus On… Newspaper Readership reports.
Forthcoming releases
The next adult release, to be published on Thursday 17th December, will present data covering the period October 2014 – September 2015.
Future adult releases of Taking Part will be published every six months. The next biannual release is therefore scheduled for July 2016 and will present data covering the period April 2015 – March 2016. Future adult releases will follow a similar schedule, being released every six months in July and December.
In addition, another series of “Taking Part, Focus on…” reports will be published in April 2016. Like the current report, each ‘short story’ in this series will look at a specific topic in more detail, providing more in-depth analysis of the 2014/15 Taking Part data than seen in the biannual report.
If you would like further information on these releases or the Taking Part survey, please contact the Taking Part team on [email protected].
Department for Culture, Media and Sport Taking Part – Statistical Release
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Free time activities
Since the introduction of the Taking Part survey in 2005, watching TV has consistently been
the most popular activity undertaken by adults in their free time. In 2014/15, 91 per cent of
respondents stated that they had watched TV during their free time, a similar proportion to
2013/14, but a significant increase from 84 per cent in 2005/06.
The second most popular free time activity was spending time with friends and family, with
89 per cent of respondents doing this. This was similar to the level reported in 2013/14, but has
increased significantly since 2005/06, when 78 per cent of respondents stated that they spent
their free time with friends and family. Figure 1 below shows the most common free time
activities undertaken by adults.
Figure 1: Free time activities undertaken by adults, April 2014 to March 2015
Notes (1) Confidence intervals, shown as error bars, range between +/-0.8 and +/-1.4.
How are these data collected?
Respondents were asked to look at a list of activities and selected the ones that they do in their free
time. They could select as many activities as they wished.
0 20 40 60 80 100
Playing a musical instrument
Arts and crafts
Playing computer games
Visiting museums/galleries
DIY
Visiting historic sites
Theatre/music concerts
Gardening
Going to pubs/bars/clubs
Going to the cinema
Sport/exercise
Reading
Days out or visits to places
Internet/emailing
Eating out at restaurants
Shopping
Listening to music
Spending time with friends/family
Watching TV
Percentage
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Gender differences in free time activities
The most common free time activity for both men and women was watching TV. In 2014/15, 90
per cent of men had watched TV in their free time compared with 92 per cent of women. The
difference between the proportion of men and women who watch TV in their free time is not
statistically significant.
The proportion of men and women who watch TV in their free time
Significantly more men than women said that in their free time they go to clubs/pubs/bars (56
per cent of men compared with 46 per cent of women), do sports/exercise (64 per cent of men
compared with 51 per cent of women) or do DIY (52 per cent of men compared with 31 per cent
of women).
On the other hand, a significantly higher proportion of women went shopping in their free time
than men. In 2014/15, 86 per cent of women shopped in their free time compared with 68 per
cent of men. Other free time activities women tended to do more of than men were; reading (77
per cent of women compared with 59 per cent of men) and arts and crafts (32 per cent of
women compared with 15 per cent of men
Figure 2: Free time activities by gender, April 2014 to March 2015
Notes
(1) Confidence intervals, shown as error bars, range between +/-0.9 and +/-2.2.
90% 92%
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Male Female
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Age differences in free time activities The five most common free time activities undertaken by adults in different age groups are shown
below.
16-24
25-44
45-64
65-74
75+
1st 2nd 3rd
4th
5th
Spending time with
family/friends
94%
Spending time with
family/friends
90%
Spending time with
family/friends
88%
Spending time with
family/friends
89%
Spending time with
family/friends
83%
Listening to music
90%
Listening to music
80%
Listening to music
78%
Watching TV
89%
Watching TV
89%
Watching TV
92%
Watching TV
94%
Internet/Emailing
88%
Internet/Emailing
83%
Shopping
76%
Shopping
76%
Shopping
78%
Shopping
80%
Shopping
77%
Eating out at
restaurants
75%
Eating out at
restaurants
75%
Reading
79%
Reading
74%
Age range
Ranking
Watching TV
94%
Listening to music
67%
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A significantly greater proportion of adults
above the age of 45 spent their free time
watching TV compared with younger
adults aged between 16 and 44 who were
more likely to spend their free time with
family and friends. In 2014/15, watching
TV was the most popular activity for adults
aged 45-64 (92 per cent), 65-74 (94 per
cent), 75+ (94 per cent).
In contrast, a significant proportion of
younger adults aged 16 to 24 spend their
free time with friends and family or on the internet compared with older adults. In 2015, 94 per
cent of 16 to 24 year olds spent their free time with friends and family and 88 per cent spend their
free time on the internet or emailing.
Newspapers, reading and the internet
Newspaper readership
This section provides some headline figures on newspaper readership. A more detailed look at
newspaper readership is provided in the Focus On… Newspaper Readership report.
In 2014/15, 48 per cent of adults read a daily newspaper at least three times a week. This is a
significant decrease on 2013/14 when 51 per cent of adults read a daily newspaper at least three
times a week. The proportion of newspaper readers amongst adults has fallen year on year since
2012/13.
The Daily Mail and The Sun remain the most popular daily newspapers, and are read by 15 per
cent and 14 per cent of adults at least three times a week, respectively.
A significantly greater proportion of men than women read The Sun: 16 per cent of men compared
with 12 per cent of women. In contrast, a significantly greater proportion of women than men read
the Daily Mail: 17 per cent compared with 14 per cent of men.
What does ‘significant’ mean?
A significant increase or decrease at the 95% level
means that there is less than a 5% chance (1 in
20) that the difference observed within the
sampled respondents is not representative of the
English population as a whole.
Attendance at:
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Figure 3: Newspaper readership by gender, March 2014 to April 2015
Notes
(1) Confidence intervals, shown as error bars, range between +/-0.3 and +/-1.6.
Reading for pleasure
In 2014/15, 64 per cent of adults cited that they had read for pleasure in their own time in the
last 12 months.
A significantly higher proportion of adults above the age of 45 read for pleasure in their own
time in the last 12 months compared with younger adults. See figure 4 below.
Figure 4: Reading for pleasure by age group, March 2014 to April 2015
Notes
(1) Confidence intervals, shown as error bars, range between +/-2.0 and +/-6.5.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Per
cen
tage
Male Female
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
16 to 24 25 to 44 45 to 64 65 to 74 75+
Per
cen
tage
Age
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Internet and social network use
This section provides some headline figures on internet and social network usage. A more
detailed look at internet and social network use is provided in the Focus On… Digital
Engagement report.
Respondents were asked whether they had visited any social networking sites or applications
from a list of popular websites in the last 12 months.
Facebook and YouTube were the most popular sites, visited by more than half of adults within
the last 12 months, 58 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. Other sites, such as Twitter and
Instagram, are also popular, visited by 22 and 16 per cent of adults respectively.
Figure 5: Which social media sites have you visited in the last 12 months, March 2014 to April
2015
Notes
(1) Confidence intervals, shown as error bars, range between +/-0.3 and +/-1.4.
Adults who stated that they had visited at least one site on the list of social networking sites
and applications were also asked how often they had visited these sites. 37 per cent of
these adults visited social networking sites several times a day and 32 per cent at least
once a day.
Among those who use social media, 60 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds and 40 per cent of 25
to 44 year olds visited a social media site several times a day. In contrast, only 15 per cent
of adults aged 65 to 74 visited a social media site several times a day, and 10 per cent of
adults aged 75+.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
None of theseMyspace
Last.fmBlogger
Virgin money givingDailymotion
RedditWordPress
VimeoFlickr
TumblrPinterestGoogle+
SpotifyJustgiving
LinkedInInstagram
TwitterYoutube
Percentage
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Enjoyment
Arts participation
Adults who participated in an arts activity were
asked how much they had enjoyed this
activity. Figure 6 below shows that over a third
of adults who took part in the arts felt that the
activity was brilliant, giving it a score of ten out
of ten.
Figure 6: Enjoyment of arts participation,
March 2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): Confidence intervals shows as error bars,
range from +/- 0.2 and +/- 1.9
Of those who had participated in the arts, 96
per cent said that they would definitely or
probably participate in the arts again.
Figure 7: Likelihood of participating in the arts
activity again, March 2014 to April 2015
Almost two thirds (59 per cent) of adults that
participated in an arts event said that they
would recommend this activity to a friend or
family member.
Arts attendance Adults who attended an arts event were also
asked how much they had enjoyed this
activity. Figure 8 below shows that 34 per cent
of the adults who attended an art event felt
that it was a brilliant activity scoring it a ten out
of ten.
Figure 8: Enjoyment of arts attendance, March
2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): Confidence intervals shows as error bars,
range from +/- 0.2 and +/- 1.6
Of those who attended an arts event, 97 per
cent said they would definitely or probably
attend an arts event again.
Figure 9: Likelihood of attending an arts event
again, March 2014 to April 2015
Over three quarters (76 per cent) of adults who
attended an arts event said that they would
recommend this activity to a friend or family
member.
83% 13%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
79% 18%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Per
cen
tage
Awful Brilliant0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Per
cen
tage
Awful Brilliant
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Museums and galleries
Adults who visited a museum or gallery were
asked how much they had enjoyed this
activity. Figure 10 below shows that 27 per
cent of respondents scored their museum or
gallery visit an eight out of ten. A further 27
per cent scored their visit a ten out of ten.
Figure 10: Enjoyment of visiting a museum or
gallery, March 2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): Confidence intervals shows as error bars,
range from +/- 0.2 and +/- 1.7
Of those who had visited a museum or gallery,
97 per cent said they would definitely or
probably visit one again.
Figure 11: Likelihood of visiting a museum or
gallery again, March 2014 to April 2015
Three quarters (75 per cent) of adults who
visited a museum or gallery said that they had
recommended this activity to a friend or family
member.
Heritage
Adults who had visited a place of historic
interest were asked how much they had
enjoyed this activity. Figure 12 shows that 29
per cent of the respondents scored the visit a
ten out of ten and a further 29 per cent scored
it an eight out of ten.
Figure 12: Enjoyment of visiting a place of historic interest, March 2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): Confidence intervals shows as error bars, range from +/- 0.1 and +/- 1.6
Of those who visited a historic place of interest 97 per cent said they would definitely or probably visit one again.
Figure 13: Likelihood of visiting a place of
historic interest again, March 2014 to April
2015
Over three quarters (77 per cent) of adults
who visited a historic site said they had
recommended this activity to a friend or family
member.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Per
cen
tage
Awful Brilliant
78% 19%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Per
cen
tage
Awful Brilliant
79% 18%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
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Library
Adults who had visited a library were asked
how satisfied they were with the service at the
library. The chart below shows that, 95 per
cent of adults who had visited the library were
very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the service
at the library.
Figure 14: Satisfaction with library visit, March
2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): confidence intervals, shown as error bars,
range between +/-0.3 and +/-2.1
Of those who had visited a library, 98 per cent
said they would definitely or probably visit one
again.
Figure 15: Likelihood of visiting a library again,
March 2014 to April 2015
Over sixty (64 per cent) of adults said they
had recommended going to the library to a
friend or family member.
Sport
Adults who took part in a sports activity were
asked how much they enjoyed doing the
activity. The chart below shows that 31 per
cent of adults who took part in a sports activity
felt that it was brilliant, giving it a ten out of ten
score.
Figure 16: Enjoyment of sports activity, March
2014 to April 2015
Notes (1): confidence intervals, shown as error bars,
range between +/- 0.2 and +/-1.6
Of those who had participated in sports
activity, 98 per cent said they definitely will or
probably will play the sport again.
Figure 17: Likelihood of playing a selected
sport again, March 2014 to April 2015
Over seventy (72 per cent) of adults who
played a selected sport said they had
recommended the sport to a friend or family
member.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Per
cen
tage
Awful Brilliant
87% 11%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
83% 15%
Definitely will Probably will
Probably will not Definitely will not
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Very Slightly Neither Fairly Very
Per
cen
tage
Dissatisfied Satisfied
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Annex A: Further details
1. The Taking Part survey is commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and its partner Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs). For 2011 to 2015 these are Arts Council England, Historic England and Sport England.
2. Taking Part is a National Statistic and as such has been produced to the high professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. National Statistics undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure they meet customer needs and are produced free from any political interference. See the Statistics Authority code of practice for more information.
The UK Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:
• meet identified user needs;
• are well explained and readily accessible;
• are produced according to sound methods; and
• are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest.
Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. See the UK Statistics Authority assessment for more information.
3. The latest results presented here are based on interviews issued between April 2014 and March 2015. The total sample size for this period is 9,817.
4. Statistical significance tests have been run at the 95% level. A significant increase at the 95% level means that there is less than 5% (1 in 20) chance that the difference observed within the sampled respondents was not also observed in the English population as a whole.
5. For more information see the Taking Part Survey webpages, including previous publications. Versions of
the questionnaires from all years of the survey are also available.
6. The fieldwork for the survey has been conducted by TNS-BMRB. For more information, see http://www.tns-bmrb.co.uk
7. The series of reports has been produced by Helen Miller-Bakewell, Wilma Deda, Becky Woods,
Catherine Mottram and Niall Goulding (DCMS), Louise O’Sullivan, David Bade and Adala Leeson (Historic England), Eloise Poole (Arts Council England) and Rachael Whitney and Helen Price (Sport England). Acknowledgement goes to colleagues within the DCMS, partner ALBs and TNS-BMRB for their assistance with the production and quality assurance of this release.
8. The responsible statistician for this release is Helen Miller-Bakewell. For enquiries on this release, please contact Helen on 0207 211 6355. This release was prepared by Wilmah Deda.
9. For general enquiries telephone: 0207 211 6200 or email [email protected]
10. To be kept informed about Taking Part publications and user events, please sign up to the Taking Part online newsletter here.
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