As we live longer lives we ought to have more time to do the things that we love, but new research by the International Longevity Centre (ILC) suggests that more people are finding themselves locked out of leisure activities due to cost, access barriers and attitudes that make us feel unwelcome.

The International Longevity Centre’s latest briefing, ‘Living it up?’ highlights that there is clear evidence that enjoying ourselves, spending time with others, getting exercise and engaging in the arts is good for us as individuals and important for our economy.

Over decades there has been a significant increase in the amount of time we have available for leisure activities – in 1970, we did roughly 30 hours of paid work a week but by 2014 this had fallen to just 23 hours of paid work a week. But according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), since 2020 the amount of time that adults in the UK spend on entertainment, socialising and other free time activities has been steadily declining. And increasingly only those on the highest incomes are able to spend time on enjoyable pursuits.

ILC analysis shows that in 2022/22, people in the top 10% income bracket spent almost seven times more a week (£15.20) on sports activities than those in the lowest 10% (£2.20).

The evidence points to a reduction in leisure spending as a whole across all generations, and particularly to younger people turning their backs on traditional nightlife in favour of spending time at home.

In 2022, spending patterns show an increase in stay-at-home behaviours for all ages, as well as a significant decrease in the amounts people spend on going out to have fun. While increased choice and availability of home entertainment are among reported reasons why people may prefer to stay home, many people can’t afford to do some of the things they might otherwise enjoy, and others find themselves locked out by access barriers such as lack of seating, and access to toilets, and few public transport options in the evening.

The results are clear to see – as key leisure industries are in decline – for example we’ve seen a 13% drop in the overall number of licenced premises operating since the start of the pandemic.

At the same time there is emerging evidence that older generations, free from childcare constraints, are returning to the dance floors and festivals and spending more time eating and drinking. This suggests that leisure providers are missing a trick by not turning their attention to ageing markets. Older adults already wield significant additional spending power compared to younger groups.

David Sinclair, Chief Executive at the International Longevity Centre UK, said:

“If we’re going to lead long lives, the last thing we want is for them to be boring. Of course, we might well work for longer, but we also need a bit of fun. 

“But too often it seems like once you get past your 20s you’re not supposed to do fun things, We know that people in their 40s, 50s and 60s are often the ones propping up leisure industries while younger people are struggling to afford to go out. While there’s nothing wrong with a bit of Netflix, we don’t want any generation to find themselves locked out of more active, sociable forms of leisure and nor do we want to see our nighttime economy continue to decline.”

“But clearly, we need a rethink to make leisure fit for an ageing society, and welcoming to us throughout longer lives. That’s not just about changing up the offers available in our town centres, but also making sure there’s decent public transport, affordable options for all and access to basic services like toilets and seats even in the evenings.”

After all what’s the point of adding years to life through medicine and technology if we don’t make sure that we are adding life to years.”

Ends

Media contacts

ILC – Press@ilcuk.org.uk or +44 (0) 7736 124 096. Spokespeople are available on request.

Notes

The ILC, the UK’s leading authority on demographic change, has embarked on a programme of work to develop a new Longevity White Paper, identifying the changes we need to make to grasp the opportunities of population ageing, and longer lives. The development of our Longevity White Paper will identify new evidence-based solutions for an ageing society.

This is the eighth in a series of thematic briefing papers setting out the issues of concern, sharing compelling new statistics, and inviting solutions. https://ilcuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ILC-Longevity-Paper-Leisure.pdf

You can send any comments or ideas for solutions to info@ilcuk.org.uk

Sources

Time use data

According to the latest ONS release published on 9 November 2023, the amount of time that adults in the UK spend on entertainment, socialising and other free time activities has been steadily declining over the last three years, down to an average of 3 hours and 39 minutes per day between 23 September and 1 October 2023, compared with 4 hours and 17 minutes between 5 September and 11 October 2020. 

Time Use in the UK – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) 

Household spending data

Sources: ONS Family spending workbook 4: expenditure by household characteristic. 31 May 2023. Used data for financial year ending (FYE) 2022 and FYE 2012.

• Average weekly spending by category by age – 2022

• Change in spending by age and category, 2012-2022