{"id":3629,"date":"2022-09-20T10:00:28","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T08:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zukunft.ideenbude.de\/?p=3629"},"modified":"2025-10-30T15:16:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T14:16:15","slug":"leisure-monitor-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stiftungfuerzukunftsfragen.de\/en\/freizeit-monitor-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Leisure Time Monitor 2022: Germans' favourite leisure activities"},"content":{"rendered":"

The BAT Foundation for Future Studies will present its \"Leisure Time Monitor 2022\" on 20 September 2022. For the study, which has been conducted since 1982, over 3,000 people between the ages of 18 and 74 were surveyed on a representative basis about their leisure behaviour and the special topic of \"stress in leisure time\".<\/p>\n

Core results<\/h3>\n

The most common leisure activities of German citizens
\n<\/strong>Internet expands dominance, social media in the top 10 for the first time<\/p>\n

Leisure activities in a 40-year comparison<\/strong>
\nWithin your own four walls, instead of among people<\/p>\n

What stresses you out in your free time<\/strong>
\nFrom lack of time to planning your own life<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>

The most common leisure activities of German citizens<\/h2><\/div>

Internet expands dominance, social media top 10 for the first time<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

The dominance of the internet is unbroken. 97 per cent of all German citizens between the ages of 18 and 74 are regularly (i.e. at least once a week) active online. Ten years ago, this figure was only around half as many (2012: 53%). Television remains the second most popular leisure activity, followed by PC\/laptop\/tablet use. For the first time, social media also appeared in the top 10 most popular leisure activities: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat or Twitter are used regularly by more than two thirds.<\/p>\n

However, the majority of Germans are also active offline in their free time - for example, two out of three people spend time together with their partner, baking or cooking. Almost as many enjoy having a coffee in peace or simply doing nothing for once. And a majority also go for a walk or spend time in nature at least once a week.<\/p>\n<\/div>

How the majority of German citizens spend their free time<\/p>

Out of every 100 respondents, the following are listed as regular leisure activities (at least once a week):<\/p>\nUsing the internet<\/text>\n\n97<\/text>\nTelevision<\/text>\n\n86<\/text>\nWith the computer<\/text>\noccupy<\/text>\n\n82<\/text>\nListen to music<\/text>\n\n82<\/text>\nRead email\/<\/text>\nwrite<\/text>\n\n80<\/text>\nUsing a smartphone<\/text>\n(do not make phone calls)<\/text>\n\n77<\/text>\nListen to the radio<\/text>\n\n74<\/text>\nHis thoughts<\/text>\npursue<\/text>\n\n71<\/text>\nAbout important things<\/text>\ntalk<\/text>\n\n69<\/text>\nUse social media<\/text>\n\n67<\/text>\nBaking\/cooking<\/text>\n\n66<\/text>\nShared time with<\/text>\nspend time with your partner<\/text>\n\n66<\/text>\nMaking phone calls from to<\/text>\nhouse<\/text>\n\n64<\/text>\nLoitering\/Doing nothing<\/text>\n\n62<\/text>\nCoffee\/cake<\/text>\neat<\/text>\n\n62<\/text>\nMaking phone calls from<\/text>\non the way<\/text>\n\n58<\/text>\nGo for a stroll<\/text>\n\n57<\/text>\nSpending time in nature<\/text>\n\n57<\/text>\nSleep in<\/text>\n\n56<\/text>\nSomething for one's own<\/text>\ndo health<\/text>\n\n53<\/text>\nStream TV series\/movies<\/text>\n(e.g. Netflix)<\/text>\n\n51<\/text>\n\n<\/svg>\n
Data as table<\/summary>
\n \n
How the majority of German citizens spend their free time \u2014 Out of every 100 respondents, the following are listed as regular leisure activities (at least once a week):<\/caption>\n
\u00a0Using the internet<\/td>97<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Television<\/td>86<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Using the computer<\/td>82<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Listen to music<\/td>82<\/td><\/tr>\n
Read\/write email<\/td>80<\/td><\/tr>\n
Use your smartphone (not make phone calls)<\/td>77<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Listen to the radio<\/td>74<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0to follow his thoughts<\/td>71<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Talk about important things<\/td>69<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Use social media<\/td>67<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Baking\/cooking<\/td>66<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Spending time together with your partner<\/td>66<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Making phone calls from home<\/td>64<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Loitering\/Doing nothing<\/td>62<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Coffee\/cake<\/td>62<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Making calls on the go<\/td>58<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Go for a stroll<\/td>57<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Spending time in nature<\/td>57<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Sleep in<\/td>56<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Do something for your own health<\/td>53<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Stream TV series\/movies (e.g. Netflix)<\/td>51<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/details>
Download chart:<\/span>PNG<\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>
<\/div>

Leisure activities in a 40-year comparison<\/h2><\/div>

Within your own four walls, instead of among people<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

The Foundation for Future Studies has been investigating the leisure behaviour of German citizens for four decades. A 40-year comparison shows that only four activities were already among the most common leisure activities in 1982: Listening to music and watching television as well as pursuing one's thoughts and talking about important things. Activities such as reading the newspaper (1st place in 1982), doing something with friends (2nd place) or reading a book (9th place) are now only practised regularly by a minority. It is also clear that leisure time increasingly takes place within one's own four walls. While several activities outside the home were always among the most popular pastimes in recent decades, the ten most common activities currently take place at home. The scientific director of the Foundation for Future Studies, Professor Dr Ulrich Reinhardt, explains this as follows:<\/p>\n

\n

\"Even though there are more and more leisure activities outside the home, this does not mean that they are being used more frequently. Leisure time is first and foremost recreational time - and this is spent at home. However, an ageing society, smaller family structures, a very attractive media offering and the current inflation and uncertainty also play a role\".<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

<\/div>

Leisure stress instead of corona blues<\/p>

What causes the most stress in leisure time<\/p>

Out of every 100 respondents, they say they feel stressed in the aforementioned leisure situations:<\/p>\n\n2022<\/text>\nChanges since 2015<\/text>\nstand in line<\/text>\nand\/or crowds<\/text>\n\n60<\/text>\n\n-5<\/text>\nTraffic jam, heavy traffic<\/text>\n\n58<\/text>\n\n-13<\/text>\nDisturbances from others<\/text>\n\n57<\/text>\n\n-6<\/text>\nTime with people who<\/text>\none doesn't like<\/text>\n\n56<\/text>\n\n-17<\/text>\nNot enough time<\/text>\nfor themselves and others<\/text>\n\n51<\/text>\n\n0<\/text>\nNot enough time<\/text>\nto sleep in<\/text>\n\n50<\/text>\n\n-8<\/text>\nExcessive spending<\/text>\n\n49<\/text>\n\n+3<\/text>\nAdvertising everywhere<\/text>\n\n49<\/text>\n\n+6<\/text>\nNoise pollution caused by<\/text>\nThird<\/text>\n\n47<\/text>\n\n+6<\/text>\nBoring<\/text>\nSociety<\/text>\n\n43<\/text>\n\n-8<\/text>\nObligations<\/text>\ncompared to others<\/text>\n\n42<\/text>\n\n+9<\/text>\nConstant<\/text>\nAccessibility<\/text>\n\n41<\/text>\n\n+8<\/text>\nGift shopping<\/text>\n\n35<\/text>\n\n-2<\/text>\nConsideration for<\/text>\nother<\/text>\n\n35<\/text>\n\n-2<\/text>\nMedia consumption of<\/text>\nothers<\/text>\n\n34<\/text>\n\n-5<\/text>\npersonal life planning<\/text>\n\n34<\/text>\n\n+12<\/text>\nconstant stream of<\/text>\nMusic<\/text>\n\n30<\/text>\n\n-3<\/text>\nMedia pressure (e.g.<\/text>\nAppearance, behavior)<\/text>\n\n26<\/text>\n\n+3<\/text>\nPressure to make a decision<\/text>\ndue to oversupply<\/text>\n\n18<\/text>\n\n+6<\/text>\nFeelings with others<\/text>\nhaving to keep up<\/text>\n\n18<\/text>\n\n+2<\/text>\n\n<\/svg>\n
Data as table<\/summary>
\n \n
Leisure stress instead of corona blues \u2014 What causes the most stress in leisure time \u2014 Out of 100 respondents, they say they feel stressed in the following leisure situations:<\/caption>\n
<\/th>2022<\/th>Changes since 2015<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>\n
\u00a0Queuing and\/or crowding<\/td>60<\/td>-5<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Traffic jam, heavy traffic<\/td>58<\/td>-13<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Disturbances from others<\/td>57<\/td>-6<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Time spent with people you don't like<\/td>56<\/td>-17<\/td><\/tr>\n
Not enough time for oneself and others<\/td>51<\/td>0<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Not enough time to sleep in\u00a0<\/td>50<\/td>-8<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Excessive spending\u00a0<\/td>49<\/td>3<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Advertising everywhere<\/td>49<\/td>6<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Noise pollution caused by third parties\u00a0<\/td>47<\/td>6<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Boring company\u00a0<\/td>43<\/td>-8<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0obligations to others<\/td>42<\/td>9<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Constant availability\u00a0<\/td>41<\/td>8<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Gift shopping<\/td>35<\/td>-2<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Consideration for others<\/td>35<\/td>-2<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Media consumption of others\u00a0\u00a0<\/td>34<\/td>-5<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0personal life planning\u00a0<\/td>34<\/td>12<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Constant background music\u00a0<\/td>30<\/td>-3<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Media pressure (e.g., appearance, behavior)<\/td>26<\/td>3<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0Decision pressure due to oversupply<\/td>18<\/td>6<\/td><\/tr>\n
\u00a0The feeling of having to keep up with others\u00a0<\/td>18<\/td>2<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/details>
Download chart:<\/span>PNG<\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>

Nothing stresses Germans out more in their free time than wasting time - be it standing in a queue or in a traffic jam. But Germans are also stressed out by other people, either because they disturb them, because they have to endure the company of people they don't like or because they simply don't have enough time for themselves or others. What all these stress factors have in common is that they have decreased over time. This can be explained by the effects of the pandemic. It has led to fewer opportunities for contact, fewer offers and more individual time. Germans feel more stress than before the pandemic, mainly due to perceived obligations, constant availability and the flood of advertising on the internet, television and everyday life. However, stress levels have increased the most when it comes to personal life planning, be it in terms of career, family or self-realisation. Reinhardt:<\/p>\n

\n

\"Caught between the expectations of others, seemingly limitless possibilities and their own needs, more and more people are feeling stressed. It is not easy to get out of this hamster wheel, which is why the risk of burnout is increasing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On www.freizeitmonitor.de<\/a> you will find many more results of this study. Feel free to take a look!<\/p>\n

Leisure Monitor 2022:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n