Here’s how much free time the average UK adult has in a week
86% of UK adults are craving more free time. Almost one in four (23%) feel that less than 10% of their non-working hours are truly free, with the majority (86%) claiming that getting more free time is important to them.
For those earning over £100,000, the need for more free time drastically increases, with 99% saying it’s important, with a third (34%) willing to give up their phone and 29% happy to give up coffee for a full extra hour of free time a day.
These are some of the key findings of a new report published by banking group Lloyds, which looked at how much leisure time the average UK adult has in a week, and how new technologies like AI could help benefit them. The report shows that the amount of time that feels genuinely free averages at just 23 hours a week.
The biggest time sinks include:
- Hybrid working: The tech revolution naturally means we’re spending more time on our computers than ever before. And as they form a crucial part of the workplace for so many, even as our personal preferences for phones may grow, time spent on computers will likely remain high for some time.
- More chores: As we spend more time in our homes, we also have more chores to be getting on with, with 56% of UK adults wishing they could spend less time on cleaning and tidying.
- Cooking: We’re spending less time in the kitchen sharpening knives, thanks to nifty inventions like air fryers, pre-prepped food and meal delivery apps, allowing many to hang up their chef’s hat. In fact, 38% of UK adults wish they could spend less time cooking.
- Commuting: With remote and hybrid working, a drop in car ownership and a decline in younger drivers, we’re slowly spending less time behind the wheel. But there’s still some room to trim drive time down further, with 40% of £100,000+ earners keen to spend less time commuting.
Tech set to create more free time
The report shows that investing in the right technology could give us an extra 110 minutes every day.
This includes things like automated health appointments, driverless cars, AI assistants, handy drones and robot cleaners all play a part. Although some tasks will only save us a few minutes a day, these minutes easily add up to hours, the group said.
“Thankfully, tech is stepping up to the plate. It’s cutting the clutter, automating the boring stuff and giving you your time back. From AI sidekicks to smart systems that just get things done, the not-too-distant future’s handing you the ultimate luxury: time,” the group said.
“For most of us, we would spend our extra hours of ‘me’ time relaxing at home (36%) or enjoying moments with friends and family (35%). High earners stretch this further: learning new things or travelling the world (53% for both).”
