The table illustrates the proportion of adults aged 18 to 65 in five countries – Canada, Australia, France, Italy, and India – who engaged in three leisure activities (reading, sports, and watching TV) in 2010 and 2020.
Overall, watching TV was consistently the most popular activity across all five nations in both years, while sports attracted the fewest participants. Notably, participation in reading and sports rose in every country over the decade, whereas TV viewership declined in Australia, France, and Italy, though it increased in Canada and India.
In terms of reading, India recorded the most dramatic growth, with the figure doubling from 20% in 2010 to 40% in 2020. Canada maintained the highest reading rate throughout, rising from 55% to 65%. France and Italy also saw substantial increases, from 40% to 55% and 35% to 50% respectively, while Australia’s rate grew more modestly from 50% to 60%.
Regarding sports, participation increased across all five countries, albeit to varying degrees. Australia experienced the largest rise, from 45% to 55%, followed by India, which climbed from 25% to 40%. Canada, France, and Italy saw more moderate growth of 5 percentage points each.
As for watching TV, it remained the dominant pastime in every country. Canada’s viewership rose from 80% to 85%, India’s increased from 60% to 65%, and France saw a modest rise from 70% to 75%. By contrast, Australia and Italy recorded declines, with Australia dropping from 85% to 80% and Italy falling from 75% to 70%.