New study on the leisure behaviour of Germans

For the 2012 Leisure Time Monitor, over 4,000 people aged 14 and over were asked face-to-face how often they engage in which leisure activities. The nine-point scale ranged from „every day“ to „never“.

Key findings of the study:

• Television remains the undisputed number 1
• Strong growth rates in mobile phone, Internet and computer use
• Digital divide in society continues
• Leisure wishes: More time for relaxation and socialising
• From golfing to going to the theatre: many activities are of no interest to the majority of Germans

Watch TV, listen to the radio, make phone calls
The Germans' favourite leisure activities

Since the 1980s, watching television and listening to the radio, making phone calls and reading newspapers have been the most popular leisure activities for German citizens. This did not change in 2012: Television remains the leading medium for Germans: 98 % of Germans regularly watch television. TV consumption is in first place in all phases of life. Professor Dr Ulrich Reinhardt, Scientific Director of the BAT Foundation for Future Studies: „The majority of Germans still want to be entertained, informed and entertained by the programmes of the broadcasters in the evening. However, television has increasingly become a secondary medium: While watching programmes, people eat, make phone calls, iron the laundry or even read.“
Activities with the family and partner as well as regenerative activities such as sleeping in, thinking about things or taking care of yourself in peace also remain popular.

Winners and losers
The medialisation of leisure time continues

A five-year comparison also shows the increasing dominance of „new media“. Almost two thirds of Germans now make mobile phone calls, 15 % more than in 2007. The growth rates for internet and computer use are even higher. However, the digital divide remains: Men (59 %) continue to use the internet more often than women (48 %), West Germans (55 %) more often than East Germans (46 %) and city dwellers (61 %) surf the net more than the rural population (46 %). The greatest differences are revealed with regard to the respondents' education and age. The proportion of Internet users with a high school diploma is more than twice as high as that of citizens with a lower secondary school leaving certificate (73 % - 35 %). And while four out of five under 35-year-olds (80 %) and more than half of 35-54-year-olds (59 %) regularly use the World Wide Web, only one in four over 55-year-olds (26%) are online.
Reinhardt: „The growth rates for internet use are continuing to rise, but are slowing down. And while it will only be a matter of a few years before Internet use among young people reaches the same level as television, it will take until the end of the decade before at least the majority of the older generation is online“.

Being spontaneous, Sleeping and sex
What German citizens would like to do more often

For the first time, the 2012 Leisure Time Monitor also addresses the question of which activities Germans would like to do more often. When it comes to regular activities, the need to ‚spontaneously do exactly what you feel like doing‘ is in first place. The need to sleep in more often and have more sex were also mentioned almost equally. This is closely followed by more time for hobbies, sport, family and friends. In contrast, the desire for (even) more frequent media consumption is significantly lower. Only one in four Germans would like to use their computer or surf the internet more often and only one in six would like to make phone calls or watch TV more often.
„More time to relax and socialise - that's how the desire for leisure time can be summarised. In an increasingly hectic and mediatised world, there is a growing need for peace and quiet on the one hand and socialising on the other. The younger generation in particular would actually prefer to meet up with friends rather than just skype, post, text or phone them. However, in an everyday life characterised by almost unlimited offers and a chronic lack of time, there is an increasing gap between desire and reality,“ says the Scientific Director of the BAT Foundation for Future Studies.

Golf, volunteering, ballet
What the majority of Germans almost never do in their free time

Going for a round of golf in your free time, reading an e-book in peace, going to the theatre, playing video games or working out at the gym? For the vast majority of Germans, these activities are only appealing to a very limited extent. But most Germans are also less likely to get involved in a citizens' initiative or volunteer for a sports club, church or political party more than once a year. And Facebook and other social media activities must also be assessed realistically - more than half of Germans have no interest in them.
Reinhardt sees three main reasons for the low frequency of use of numerous leisure activities: „Firstly, the effects of the demographic development in Germany are also becoming increasingly apparent in leisure time - the older a society is, the more passive domestic activities predominate over activities outside the home. Secondly, the available leisure budget of German citizens has remained relatively constant for years, while the opportunities to spend it continue to increase. In this respect, it is often not a decision against a particular leisure activity, but in favour of another. And thirdly, just like the leisure money budget, the leisure time budget is also limited. Just like every euro, time can only be spent once. This mainly affects time-intensive activities.“

In over 100 charts, the „Leisure Time Monitor 2012“ contains detailed information on the user and frequency structure of over 80 leisure activities, from television and PC use to museum and cinema visits, day trips and weekend trips.
The „Leisure Time Monitor 2012“ is available as a printed study or as a PDF for a nominal fee of 49.90 euros from the Stiftung für Zukunftsfragen, an initiative of British American Tobacco, Alsterufer 4, 20354 Hamburg (see Contact us).