Chart of the week, 2023-KW04
26 January 2023
Home improvement and DIY in leisure time: More and more Germans are picking up tools
Out of every 100 respondents, they say they beautify their home at least once a month:
Data as table
| Year | No | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 86 | 14 |
| 2022 | 61 | 39 |
| 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Total | 39 |
| Men | 46 |
| Women | 31 |
| 18-34 years | 46 |
| 35-54 years | 40 |
| 55-74 years | 32 |
| More often, please. | 23 |
Result
Two in five Germans regularly (at least once a month) do DIY, decorate their home or make something creative. One in seven (14%) even indulge in this leisure activity at least once a week, crafting, repairing, painting, planting or designing something entirely according to their own wishes.
Men and the under-34s are more active than average, but rural dwellers and higher earners are also particularly likely to engage in this activity. In a time comparison, this leisure activity has increased by around 25 percentage points over the last ten years.
Reasons
The reasons for the popularity of DIY vary from person to person. For some, it is self-realisation, the good feeling and the pride of solving a problem themselves or making something with their own hands. For others, it is more about stress relief and a contrast to everyday working life. Another motive is the opportunity to save costs by repairing things yourself instead of buying new ones or having them repaired by a craftsman.
However, external factors also play a role in the increasing popularity of crafting. For example, many people have spent more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and devoted themselves to numerous domestic activities and projects. The media has also had a major influence: Be it reports on television, magazines for almost every kind of DIY interest or the availability of instructions and tutorials on the internet through which many feel inspired and empowered to tackle DIY projects themselves.
Forecast
The above reasons speak in favour of the continued popularity of home improvement and DIY work. The increasing importance of sustainability aspects will also contribute to people repairing and designing things themselves in their free time. And the citizens themselves? They want to do DIY more often - almost one in five would like to pick up a plane, paintbrush or screwdriver more often in their free time.
