The table and the chart illustrate the average time that men and women spent on leisure activities and household chores in the UK in 2008. The units are measured in minutes per day.
Overall, people in the UK spent most of their free time enjoying radio, TV, and video, with more men than women participating in these activities. In contrast, women dedicated more time to housework, particularly to the most time-consuming tasks, such as cooking and washing.
Firstly, recreational activities predominantly revolved around TV, radio, and video, with men spending an average of 137 minutes on these activities compared to 118 minutes for women. Reading was the only leisure activity where women spent more time than men, with women averaging 19 minutes compared to men, who spent about 18 minutes on books.
Additionally, women dedicated more time to most household chores than men. Notably, women spent nearly 80 minutes on cooking and washing, while men took just over half that time, around 30 minutes, to complete these tasks. However, in terms of repair tasks, men spent more time, averaging nearly 20 minutes, whereas women spent around 10 minutes on fixing.