How the UK Spends its time by John Patterson

(Full article available here)

It’s only natural to wonder how your day compares to the rest of the UK. Do you feel like you never
have enough time to relax and pursue activities you enjoy? You’re not alone. Based on unique survey
results and the latest ONS data, this is what the average Brit’s weekday looks like.

● ONS data shows that leisure time accounts for under 1/4 of each working day. Even more
eye-opening, our survey shows that 40% of Brits claim to only have 1-2 hours a day to do
things they enjoy.
● 49% of Brits prefer or frequently consider spending their free time after work alone.
● Women take on 60% of all unpaid work (i.e. childcare and cooking) leaving them with over half
an hour less leisure time than men each day.
● The UK has the longest commute in Europe, with an average of 5 hours per week spent
travelling to and from the office.

What does the average Brit’s weekday look like?

So, how does the UK spend the working week? We’ve collated data that shows how an average Brit’s
weekday is broken up:

Working & Commuting: 8.5 Hours

Although we probably work less than before (37 hours per week in 2018 compared to 38.7 in the
mid-90s), those in permanent employment still, on average, spend over 1/3 of their time (35%) at work
or travelling to and from their job Monday to Friday.

Our commute in the UK is the longest in Europe, almost one hour per day. Here is how each region of
the UK’s daily journey to and from work looks according to the most recent government figures:
Unpaid Work & Miscellaneous Tasks – 2.9 Hours
The concept of unpaid work is probably familiar to all of us even if we haven’t heard the name: the
day does not end when we get home from work, there’s still plenty left to do. Cooking, cleaning,
childcare – the list goes on. But who is doing all the heavy lifting?

Leisure Time & Personal Care – 5.8 Hours

With a limited amount of time to do the things we enjoy; our survey uncovered that 40% people feel
that they only get 1-2 hours each day