Canadian Social Survey – Quality of Life and Energy Use, second quarter 2023
Released: 2023-08-14
In 2023, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Canadians were satisfied with how much leisure time they had. This proportion was lowest among adults aged 30 to 49 years (53%), and highest among seniors aged 65 and older (82%).
Studies on time use help us to understand how Canadians manage and spend their time, including time spent working, on leisure activities, on housework, and engaging in caregiving. Time use measures are also generally used to help better understand quality of life within Canada, and represent a key indicator in Canada's Quality of Life Framework.
The ninth cycle of the Canadian Social Survey (CSS) released today, focused on various indicators of wellbeing. The results presented here highlight Canadians' satisfaction with time spent on activities that they enjoy. How people spend their free time varies from one person to the next and can encompass a broad range of activities from socializing, engaging in activities related to arts and hobbies, watching television, reading, listening to music, to countless other personal interests and passions.
Younger women less likely than young men to report satisfaction with time use
Previous studies have indicated that women spend more hours doing unpaid housework and providing unpaid care, which can translate into less leisure time. However, in terms of satisfaction, results from the CSS indicate that women and men have similar levels of satisfaction with time spent on leisure activities. The one exception was found for the youngest age group. Women aged 15 to 29 (58%) were less likely than men in the same age range (69%) to be satisfied with the amount of time they have to engage in personal activities (Chart 1).
Having a good work-life balance is closely tied to satisfaction with free time. Among the population aged 15 to 64, close to four out of five (78%) who were satisfied with their work-life balance were also satisfied with their amount of free time. In contrast, 27% who were not satisfied with their work-life balance were satisfied with their leisure time.
Chart 1
Satisfaction with free time, by age and gender
Over four in five retired Canadians satisfied with their amount of free time
When considering the main activity of Canadians in the previous week, 86% of retired Canadians reported high levels of satisfaction with their free time—a proportion higher than any other main activity (Chart 2). Coming in second were students, where 71% were satisfied with the amount of free time. In comparison, over half of people whose main activity was working (58%), looking for work (54%) or caregiving (60%) reported that they were satisfied with their amount of free time.
The lowest levels of satisfaction with free time were reported by those facing a long-term illness. In 2023, 44% of persons who reported that they were dealing with a long-term illness were satisfied with their time use. Living with a long-term illness can often require individuals to spend more time on personal care, such as attending medical appointments.
Chart 2
Satisfaction with free time, by main activity
Persons with a disability aged 30 to 49 are the least likely to report satisfaction with free time
On average, persons with a disability (55%) were less likely to be satisfied with their free time than those without a disability (67%). This was seen across all age groups, though was most pronounced among persons with a disability aged 30 to 49, where 38% said that they were satisfied with the amount of available time to engage in personal activities and pursuits. This proportion increased to 50% among persons with a disability aged 50 to 64, and 70% among those with a disability aged 65 and older (Chart 3).
The lower levels of satisfaction among those with a disability is consistent with a previous study which found that persons with disabilities were more likely to report that they do not have time for fun and spend more time stressed about their health than persons without disabilities.
Chart 3
Satisfaction with free time, by age and disability status
Those having difficulty meeting financial needs are less likely to be satisfied with their amount of free time
Rising prices have been affecting the ability of many Canadians to meet their financial needs, with many adjusting their behaviours to be able to make ends meet. Those in a vulnerable financial situation may need to work longer hours, meaning less free time, combined with less disposable income for leisure pursuits.
Among the 24% of Canadians who responded that they were having difficulty meeting their financial needs, 44% were also satisfied with their amount of free time. Comparatively, 73% of those who did not report these financial difficulties were satisfied with their free time. This difference by financial difficulties was seen among all age groups.
Note to readers
This release uses the most recent wave of the Canadian Social Survey (CSS): Quality of Life and Energy Use (collected from April 21 to June 4, 2023). The CSS collects information on a variety of social topics such as health, well-being, impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the household, work–life balance, time use, intentions to have children, and changes in relationship status.
Satisfaction with free time was measured using the following question: "On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means you feel "Not at all satisfied" and 10 means you are "Completely satisfied," how satisfied are you with the amount of time you have to do the things that you like doing?" Responses of 6 to 10 were used in this report to indicate having "a sense of satisfaction with free time."
Financial difficulty was measured using the following question in the CSS: "In the past 12 months, how difficult or easy was it for your household to meet its financial needs in terms of transportation, housing, food, clothing and other necessary expenses?" Responses of very difficult or difficult were used in this report to indicate experiencing "financial difficulty."
Persons with a disability refer to those who self-identified as a person with a disability.
The CSS aims to better understand social issues rapidly by conducting surveys on different topics every three months. Statistics Canada would like to thank all Canadians who took the time to answer the questions.
In this release, the term "Canadians" refers to residents of Canada, regardless of citizenship status.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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