•  ​Only 16 percent of people internationally are completely satisfied with the amount of leisure time they have.
• America, Canada and UK have highest percentage of people who are satisfied; Russia and Japan have highest percentage dissatisfied.

The busy pace of life is a popular complaint for many people. But findings released by GfK show that the majority of people internationally – 58 percent – say they are completely or fairly satisfied with the amount of leisure time that they have.

Across all 22 countries surveyed, 16 percent of people aged 15 and over say they are completely satisfied with the amount of leisure time they have, while 42 percent are fairly satisfied. Only 18 percent are unhappy in total, including 4 percent who are not at all satisfied with their amount of leisure time. The remaining quarter (24 percent) are neutral on the topic.

These findings are valuable for all businesses offering products or services that focus on people’s leisure and relaxation time, by helping to identify how messaging can be refined to resonate most strongly with each group. For example, people who are least satisfied with their amount of leisure time are likely to respond to offers focused around making the most of limited free time, or activities that can be tailored to fit around irregular periods of leisure.

Americans lead on happiness with amount of leisure time

The concept of ‘leisure time’ undoubtedly varies from culture to culture and even from person to person. Nevertheless, people’s satisfaction with their amount of leisure time – however they perceive that – delivers comparable insights across nations.

Despite having famously few personal days of holiday per year, people in the USA are most likely to be content with their amount of leisure time. Almost seven out of ten (69 percent) say they are completely or fairly satisfied. These are very closely followed by people in the UK and Canada (67 percent each), Belgium and Germany (66 percent each). The countries where people are least likely to be happy with their leisure time are led by Russia, where nearly a third (31 percent) are not at all satisfied, or not too satisfied – closely followed by Japan (30 percent) and Brazil (28 percent).

Retirement does bring satisfaction in leisure time

Unsurprisingly, those aged 60 and over are the most likely to be satisfied with their amount of leisure time, with almost a third (31 percent) completely satisfied and a little under a half (46 percent) fairly satisfied. But the other age groups are not far behind for those saying they are fairly satisfied with their leisure time, with levels ranging from 40 to 43 percent. It is only when it comes to being completely satisfied that these age groups fall further behind, compared to those aged 60 and over. 

-Ends-

About GfK

GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.