The two provided bar charts illustrate the average amount of time, measured in minutes per day, that five distinct age groups in New Zealand spend on two separate leisure pursuits: reading for pleasure and listening to music.
Overall, the two activities show markedly contrasting trends concerning the age of participants. The time dedicated to reading generally increases as people get older, while the time spent listening to music is highest in the youngest group and hits its lowest point among middle-aged adults.
Looking at reading for pleasure, the time spent is lowest among the 15 to 24-year-olds, who dedicate approximately 20 minutes a day to this activity. This figure subsequently rises across the middle age brackets, reaching around 45 minutes for 35 to 44-year-olds and almost 50 minutes for the 45-54 group. The most significant amount of time is dedicated by the oldest cohort (55+), who spend a substantial 70 minutes per day reading, clearly marking the peak.
In stark contrast, the time allocated to listening to music is dominated by the youngest cohort (15 to 24), who record the highest average at approximately 85 minutes daily. This figure drops sharply for the 25 to 34-year-olds to just over 60 minutes and reaches its lowest point in the 35-44 age group, at 40 minutes. Interestingly, listening time picks up again significantly in the two oldest brackets, returning to 60 minutes for 45-54-year-olds, and concluding with a high figure of about 78 minutes for the 55+ group, making them the second-most engaged music listeners.