Top 10 Leisure Activities in Australia (2019 ABS Data)

How Australians Spend Free Time

Based on the 2019 ABS Survey of Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation and Time Use Survey:

1. Eating & drinking out — cafés, restaurants, pubs (social #1)
2. Walking & hiking — bushwalking, coastal walks, urban strolls
3. Watching TV / streaming — still dominant screen time
4. Shopping — malls, markets, online (recreational, not just necessity)
5. Gardening & yard work — high home ownership; native gardens popular
6. Socializing at home — BBQs, gatherings, "having people over"
7. Physical exercise / fitness classes — gym, yoga, pilates, team sports
8. Arts & crafts — painting, pottery, knitting, woodworking, DIY
9. Attending events — sports matches, festivals, theatre, concerts, galleries
10. Reading — books, e-books, audiobooks (fiction & non-fiction)

Notable Trends (Post-2019)

• Surge in cycling, camping, birdwatching, home baking (COVID)
• Streaming > broadcast TV; podcasts rising
• Indigenous cultural experiences growing
• Volunteering ~25% (formal); informal help higher

Data: ABS 4177.0 (2019); 4150.0 (Time Use). Next release expected 2024+.