Database Specific
Database Specific Abstract AbstractTime-use surveys are the primary statistical vehicle for recording information on how people precisely allocate their time across different day-to-day activities. Typically, a large number of people keep a diary of activities over one or several representative days for a given period. Respondents describe their activities in their own words in a time diary and these are then re-coded by national statistical agencies into a set of descriptive categories. A well-designed survey classifies activities across a total duration of 24 hours (or 1 440 minutes) per day. Interest in time-use studies has grown considerably over the last 30 years and an increasing number of national statistical agencies have been conducting large-scale time-use surveys
Source Source Contact person/organisation Contact person/organisationwellbeing@oecd.org
Data source(s) used Data source(s) usedHow Australians Use Their Time (2006) for Australia; Zeitverwendungserhebung (2008/09) for Austria; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Belgium; General Social Survey (2015) for Canada; Befolkningens tidsanvendelse (2001) for Denmark; Ajakasutus Uuring (2009/10) for Estonia; Ajankäyttötutkimus (2009/10) for Finland; Enquête Emloi du Temps et Décisions dans les Couples (2009/10) for France; Zeitverwendungserhebung (2012/13) for Germany; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Greece; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2010) for Hungary; The Irish National Time-Use Survey (2005) for Ireland; Inchiesta sull’Uso del Tempo (2013/14) for Italy; Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities (2016) for Japan; Time Use Survey (2014) for Korea; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2003) for Latvia; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2003) for Lithuania; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Luxembourg; Encuesta Nacional Sobre Del Tiempo (2014) for Mexico; Tijdsbestedingsonderzoek (2015/16) for The Netherlands; Time Use Survey (2009/10) for New Zealand; Tidsbruksundersøkelsen (2010/11) for Norway; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Poland; Uso do tempo (1999) for Portugal; Ankete o porabi casa (2000/01) for Slovenia; Encuesta de Empleo del Tiempo (2009/10) for Spain; Tidsanvändningsundersökningen (2010) for Sweden; Zaman Kullanim Arastirmasi (2014/15) for Turkey; UK Time Use Survey (2014/15) for United Kingdom; American Time Use Survey (2019) for the United States of America; Time Use Survey (2008) for China; Time Use Survey (1998/99) for India; A Survey of Time Use (2010) for South Africa.
Data Characteristics Data Characteristics Date last updated Date last updated02-18-2021
Other Aspects Other Aspects Other comments Other commentsFor more information on the exact categories used for each country and a detailed breakdown by sub-activity refer to the OECD Time Use Database available via the following links:
Quality comments Quality commentsMost time-use data sets are large enough to generate reliable measures of time allocation over the full year, but the accuracy of these estimates as well as the methodology vary significantly from country to country. Differences in survey features, number of diary days sampled, and categorisation of activities may all affect the cross-country comparability of results.
Time-use surveys are the primary statistical vehicle for recording information on how people precisely allocate their time across different day-to-day activities. Typically, a large number of people keep a diary of activities over one or several representative days for a given period. Respondents describe their activities in their own words in a time diary and these are then re-coded by national statistical agencies into a set of descriptive categories. A well-designed survey classifies activities across a total duration of 24 hours (or 1 440 minutes) per day. Interest in time-use studies has grown considerably over the last 30 years and an increasing number of national statistical agencies have been conducting large-scale time-use surveys
wellbeing@oecd.org
How Australians Use Their Time (2006) for Australia; Zeitverwendungserhebung (2008/09) for Austria; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Belgium; General Social Survey (2015) for Canada; Befolkningens tidsanvendelse (2001) for Denmark; Ajakasutus Uuring (2009/10) for Estonia; Ajankäyttötutkimus (2009/10) for Finland; Enquête Emloi du Temps et Décisions dans les Couples (2009/10) for France; Zeitverwendungserhebung (2012/13) for Germany; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Greece; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2010) for Hungary; The Irish National Time-Use Survey (2005) for Ireland; Inchiesta sull’Uso del Tempo (2013/14) for Italy; Survey on Time Use and Leisure Activities (2016) for Japan; Time Use Survey (2014) for Korea; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2003) for Latvia; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2003) for Lithuania; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Luxembourg; Encuesta Nacional Sobre Del Tiempo (2014) for Mexico; Tijdsbestedingsonderzoek (2015/16) for The Netherlands; Time Use Survey (2009/10) for New Zealand; Tidsbruksundersøkelsen (2010/11) for Norway; Harmonised European Time Use Survey (2013) for Poland; Uso do tempo (1999) for Portugal; Ankete o porabi casa (2000/01) for Slovenia; Encuesta de Empleo del Tiempo (2009/10) for Spain; Tidsanvändningsundersökningen (2010) for Sweden; Zaman Kullanim Arastirmasi (2014/15) for Turkey; UK Time Use Survey (2014/15) for United Kingdom; American Time Use Survey (2019) for the United States of America; Time Use Survey (2008) for China; Time Use Survey (1998/99) for India; A Survey of Time Use (2010) for South Africa.
02-18-2021
Most time-use data sets are large enough to generate reliable measures of time allocation over the full year, but the accuracy of these estimates as well as the methodology vary significantly from country to country. Differences in survey features, number of diary days sampled, and categorisation of activities may all affect the cross-country comparability of results.
For more information on the exact categories used for each country and a detailed breakdown by sub-activity refer to the OECD Time Use Database available via the following links: