In the UK in 2000/01 women spent more time than men on household chores, while men spent more time than women in paid employment.
On average, women spend over 2 hours 30 minutes a day doing housework, cooking, washing up, cleaning and ironing - 1 hour 30 minutes more than men. Both sexes spend similar lengths of time gardening or looking after pets. DIY and car maintenance are the only chores that men, in general, spend more time on than women.
Overall men have an extra half hour of free time each day than women. However, how men and women used their free time varies. The amount of free time they have is also influenced by their employment status.
Time spent on selected free time activities of full-time workers, 2000/01, UK
Men in full-time work have more free time on a weekday than women who work full time. Men spend more time than women watching the TV or a video, or listening to the radio. In contrast, women spend more time socialising than men.
At the weekend the amount of free time that people who work full time have increases to just under six hours a day for men and five hours a day for women. Participation in sports and exercise accounts for more of men’s free time than women’s.
In 2002 over 90 per cent of both men and women said that they were interested in watching the news on TV. Men were more likely to be interested in watching factual programmes than women (89 per cent compared with 79 per cent) and women were more likely than men to be interested in watching drama (88 per cent compared with 73 per cent). Over a third of women expressed interest in watching children’s programmes compared with a quarter of men, while three quarters of men were interested in sports programmes compared with a third of women.
In 2002 a slightly higher proportion of men than women read newspapers: 87 per cent compared with 82 per cent. In contrast, a higher proportion of women read magazines: 64 per cent of women compared with 57 per cent of men. Two thirds of men and women said they read a book because the subject matter interested them. Women were more likely than men to act on the recommendations of a friend and were also more likely to read a book to relax.
Sources: UK Time Use Survey, 2000, Office for National Statistics; The Public's View, 2002, Independent Television Commission; National Reading Campaign Survey, 2002, National Literacy Trust
Notes: Time-use data are for adults aged 16 and over. DIY includes vehicle repair and maintenance.
Free time – time spent on activities other than: work, sleep, household tasks, personal care and travel.
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