Free time of Russians

Actuality, Summer, 2007

The All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (ARPORC) presents the data, how Russians: adults and children spend their leisure.

So, only 71% of Russians have free time. Still, only 31% among them believe that they have enough free time, and 40% complain of its lack. Also, 27% have specified, that they practically do not have free time at all.

The most “free” people are elderly Russians: two thirds of them (64%) do have free time and that’s enough for them. The most “busy” are people of 25-59 years old, 32-35% of them are in a constant mad rush.

In spite of this, most of the interviewees (51%) consider that rest and leisure conditions became better in Russia for the last years. Two years ago only 41% of interviewees had the same point of view. At the same time, the number of those who complain about deterioration of leisure conditions has decreased (from 26% up to 17%).

The interviewees considering themselves endowing (70 %) or so-so-to-do (53 %) are more inclined to point the improvements in leisure sphere. There are only 37% in a poorly provided group that are ready to agree with such point of view.

At the same time, Russians began to spend the free time more actively, than earlier. They began to communicate with their friends more often (33%, it was 23 % earlier), to spend their time in the nature (27% and 13%), to listen to music and to watch video (19% and 12%). The number of those who have hobby (from 7% up to12 %), and also those who like to sit by the computer (from 5% up to12 %) had practically doubled. But among the leaders are the next ways of leisure spending: TV watching, listening of the broadcasts (56%, in 2005 - 45%) and household chores (51% and 40%), as well as two years ago.

The half of interviewees does not have a favorite hobby (48 %). The remained more often mention the kinds of leisure connected with the stay in the nature. It is tourism, hunting, fishing, gathering of berries and mushrooms (8%), and also various kinds of needlework, gardening and truck farming, acquaintance with literary works and arts (in 6%). 4% of interviewees are fond of going in for sports and 3% like housekeeping.

The ways of leisure time spending of children and teenagers are a little bit changed in comparison with 2005 year. The number of children being keen on a computer (from 10% up to 23 %), watching TV (from 15% up to 21%), listening to music (from 10% up to 17%) has increased according to their parents supervision. Still, children do not read enough. Books are read by 8% of children and teenagers, children’s newspapers and magazines are read only by 4-5%.

Initiative All-Russian poll of interrogation ARPORC was conducted on August, 18-19, 2007. There were 1579 people interviewed in 153settlements, in 46 regions, territories and republics of Russia. The statistical error does not exceed 3,4 %.