How do fathers and mothers allocate their leisure time? Patterns and inequalities across 13 European countries

Bibliographic Data

ID7743898
AuthorsAnna Martinez Mendiola (0000-0001-8217-2137, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume52
Pages1023-1036
Publication date2025-05-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDemographic Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1435-9871 • E-ISSN: 2363-7064
PublisherMax Planck Institute for Demographic Research (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.4054/demres.2025.52.31
OpenAlexW4410733404
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited33

BACKGROUNDSpending time on leisure is widely recognised as a significant source of enjoyable psychological experiences in daily life.However, cross-national studies on time use and gender inequalities frequently overlook the study of leisure. OBJECTIVEThis study has two principal objectives.First, it presents estimates of leisure time among parents, providing detailed insights into how fathers and mothers allocate their leisure time.Second, it explores patterns and variations in leisure time allocation and gender inequalities across European countries. METHODSThis study uses data from the second round of the Harmonised European Time Use Survey (HETUS) to analyse leisure time among parents (n = 76,867) across 13 European countries.This research focuses on parents because of their limited opportunities for leisure.The study examines seven dimensions that consider the type of activity and the presence of other family members. RESULTSAnalogous patterns of leisure time allocation and gender inequalities exist across Europe.Fathers and mothers spend the majority of their leisure time on sedentary activities, either alone or with other adults.However, mothers spend less leisure time overall, particularly in sedentary activities, and more leisure time with their children. CONTRIBUTIONThis note provides new insights into how European parents spend their leisure time, highlighting cross-country patterns in time allocation and gender inequalities via timeuse data from 13 European countries.It also emphasises the importance of considering different dimensions of leisure time for a more comprehensive understanding

Demographic economics · Economics · Inequality · Leisure time · Physical activity · Sociology · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Medicine · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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