The provided line graph illustrates the various activities—reading, hiking, theater, watching TV, and surfing the internet—that elderly people in the UK engaged in during their leisure time from 1980 to 2010.
Overall, it is evident that watching TV had the highest rates at the beginning of the period. However, the popularity of hiking steadily increased and eventually surpassed that of watching TV.
In the 1980s, watching TV had the highest figure at 60%, which gradually increased to 70% over the next two decades before decreasing to about 65% in the 2000s. Meanwhile, the percentage of people who were hiking was only 20% at the start of the period, but it experienced a sharp increase, peaking at more than 60% by the 2010s.
Surfing the internet, starting at a low rate of 10% in the 1980s, saw a gradual growth, reaching 50% towards the end of the period. Similarly, reading fluctuated around 40% and experienced a notable increase, reaching 60% throughout the period.
Going to the theater declined steeply. It was at 50% in the 1980s but dropped to approximately 45% by the end of the period, eventually plummeting to 30% in the 1990s.