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Economic News Release
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Table 12. Average hours per day spent in primary activities for the civilian population, 2021 quarterly and annual averages

Table 12. Average hours per day spent in primary activities for the civilian population, 2021 quarterly and annual averages [Not seasonally adjusted]
Activity 2021
Quarterly averages Annual
average
I II III IV

Total, all activities(1)

 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00

Personal care activities

 9.83 9.61 9.67 9.70 9.70

Sleeping(2)

 9.12 8.90 8.91 8.88 8.95

Eating and drinking

 1.13 1.19 1.20 1.22 1.19

Household activities

 1.80 2.07 1.97 1.94 1.95

Housework

 0.57 0.60 0.53 0.60 0.58

Food preparation and cleanup

 0.66 0.64 0.66 0.62 0.64

Lawn and garden care

 0.08 0.33 0.25 0.15 0.20

Household management

 0.13 0.15 0.16 0.14 0.14

Purchasing goods and services

 0.59 0.72 0.68 0.73 0.68

Consumer goods purchases

 0.26 0.33 0.31 0.36 0.32

Professional and personal care services

 0.09 0.09 0.07 0.10 0.09

Caring for and helping household members

 0.47 0.47 0.44 0.50 0.47

Caring for and helping household children

 0.40 0.36 0.34 0.38 0.37

Caring for and helping nonhousehold members

 0.14 0.23 0.18 0.17 0.18

Caring for and helping nonhousehold adults

 0.05 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.06

Working and work-related activities

 3.54 3.39 3.54 3.52 3.50

Working

 3.29 3.14 3.20 3.26 3.22

Educational activities

 0.56 0.29 0.27 0.59 0.43

Attending class

 0.28 0.13 0.12 0.28 0.20

Homework and research

 0.26 0.14 0.13 0.27 0.20

Organizational, civic, and religious activities

 0.21 0.22 0.23 0.24 0.23

Religious and spiritual activities

 0.11 0.09 0.13 0.12 0.11

Volunteering (organizational and civic activities)

 0.08 0.10 0.08 0.10 0.09

Leisure and sports

 5.31 5.44 5.36 4.96 5.27

Socializing and communicating

 0.40 0.65 0.61 0.60 0.57

Watching television

 3.19 2.74 2.80 2.71 2.86

Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation

 0.30 0.40 0.34 0.23 0.32

Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail

 0.22 0.22 0.19 0.21 0.21

Other activities, not elsewhere classified

 0.19 0.16 0.25 0.20 0.20

Footnotes
(1) All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions.
(2) Includes naps and spells of sleeplessness.

NOTE: A primary activity refers to an individual's main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
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Last Modified Date: February 13, 2025