taking part 2014/15, focus on: free time activities

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

2

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].

mailto:[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:


7

Figure 3: Newspaper readership by gender, March 2014 to April 2015

Notes


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


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


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

Facebook

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


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



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%



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


10

Museums and galleries

Adults who visited a museum or gallery were


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



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%



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%




11

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%



83% 15%



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.

http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/code-of-practice-for-official-statistics.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-statistics-authority-assessment

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-statistics-authority-assessment

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-culture-media-sport/series/taking-part

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/questionnaires

http://www.tns-bmrb.co.uk



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