Communiqué on China’s Third National Time Use Survey (No. 2)

Communiqué on China’s Third National Time Use Survey (No. 2)

-- Overview of National Residents’ Time Use by Primary Activity Domains and Major Activity Categories

National Bureau of Statistics of China

October 31, 2024

The third national time use survey features optimization in its scope, respondents, content, and methodology compared to the previous two surveys. For the first time, the scope has expanded to cover all 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Initially, the survey included individuals aged 6-14, the range of resident activity categories was expanded to 34, and a self-reporting mobile applet was used to conduct the survey. These measures aim to provide a more comprehensive and accurate reflection of time use among residents in China. Based on the results of the third national time use survey, the following data on daily time use by Chinese residents are hereby published:

I. Time Use of Residents by Primary Activity Domains

The survey results show that, based on daily activities calculated over a 7-day week^[1]:

In the essential personal physiological activities domain^[2], residents’ average daily time use^[3] was 12 hours and 27 minutes, representing 51.9% of the day^[4]. Participants’ average daily time use^[5] was 12 hours and 27 minutes, with an activity participation rate^[6] of 100.0%.

In the paid labor domain^[7], residents’ average daily time use was 3 hours and 27 minutes, representing 14.4% of the day. Participants’ average daily time use was 6 hours and 23 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 54.1%.

In the unpaid labor domain^[8], residents’ average daily time use was 2 hours and 5 minutes, representing 8.7% of the day. Participants’ average daily time use was 2 hours and 45 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 75.6%.

In the discretionary personal activities domain^[9], residents’ average daily time use was 3 hours and 24 minutes, representing 14.2% of the day. Participants’ average daily time use was 3 hours and 30 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 97.4%.

In the learning and training domain^[10], residents’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 47 minutes, representing 7.4% of the day. Participants’ average daily time use was 7 hours and 9 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 25.1%.

In the transportation domain^[11], residents’ average daily time use was 50 minutes, representing 3.5% of the day. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 2 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 80.5%.

II. Time Use of Residents by Major Activity Categories

The survey results show that, based on daily activities calculated over a 7-day week:

In the sleep and rest category^[12], residents’ average daily time use and Participants’ average daily time use were both 9 hours and 46 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 100.0%.

In the personal hygiene care category^[13], residents’ average daily time use and Participants’ average daily time use were both 56 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 99.1%.

In the dining or other meals category^[14], residents’ average daily time use and Participants’ average daily time use were both 1 hour and 43 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 99.8%.

In the transportation category^[15], residents’ average daily time use was 50 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 2 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 80.5%.

In the labor and employment category^[16], residents’ average daily time use was 3 hours and 28 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 6 hours and 23 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 54.4%.

In the learning and training category^[17], residents’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 47 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 7 hours and 9 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 25.1%.

In the housework category^[18], residents’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 17 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 59 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 64.9%.

In the accompanying and caring for family members category^[19], residents’ average daily time use was 30 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 46 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 28.4%.

In the purchase of goods or services category^[20], residents’ average daily time use was 15 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 43 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 34.1%.

In the seeking medical treatment category^[21], residents’ average daily time use was 2 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 27 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 2.7%.

In the sports and fitness category^[22], residents’ average daily time use was 35 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 10 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 49.6%.

In the culture, leisure, and entertainment category^[23], residents’ average daily time use was 2 hours and 33 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 2 hours and 40 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 95.3%.

In the social communication category^[24], residents’ average daily time use was 18 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 1 hour and 9 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 26.3%.

III. Residents’ Use of ICT

The survey results show that, based on daily activities calculated over a 7-day week:

In the use of ICT^[25], residents’ average daily time use was 5 hours and 37 minutes. Participants’ average daily time use was 6 hours and 3 minutes, with an activity participation rate of 92.9%.

Table 1: National Residents’ Time Use by Primary Activity Domains

(based on daily activities calculated over a 7-day week)

Table 2: National Residents’ Time Use by Major Activity Categories

(based on daily activities calculated over a 7-day week)

Notes:

[1] According to the Third National Time Use Survey Plan, respondents are required to record all activities conducted within 24 hours from 0:00 on the survey day to 0:00 on the following day. Activities under 7 minutes are excluded, while those lasting over 7 minutes but less than 15 minutes are rounded to 15 minutes and logged accordingly. During the field survey from May 11 to May 31, 2024, all respondents were asked to complete Log 1 (for a weekday from Monday to Friday) and Log 2 (for a weekend day, either Saturday or Sunday), recording activities for two days in total. To calculate the time residents spent on a particular activity, the time use data from Log 1 and Log 2 for that activity were weighted and averaged by 5/7 and 2/7, respectively, to obtain the residents’ average daily time use, participants’ average daily time use, and activity participation rate based on a 7-day week.

[2] The domain of essential personal physiological activities includes major activity categories such as sleep and rest, personal hygiene care, dining or other meals, and seeking medical treatment.

[3] Residents’ average daily time use refers to the weighted average time spent by all respondents on a particular activity.

[4] Due to rounding, the sum of residents’ average daily time use across all primary activity domains may show minor discrepancies from the total, with no mechanical adjustment applied.

[5] Participants’ average daily time use refers to the weighted average time spent by participants who engaged in a particular activity.

[6] Activity participation rate refers to the percentage of all participants who engaged in a particular activity.

[7] The paid labor domain includes all activities in the labor and employment category except for unpaid internships and similar employment activities.

[8] The unpaid labor domain includes major activity categories such as housework, accompanying and caring for family members, and purchase of goods or services, as well as unpaid internships and similar employment activities in the labor and employment category, and volunteer activities within the social communication category.

[9] The discretionary personal activities domain includes major activity categories such as sports and fitness, culture, leisure and entertainment, as well as all other activities in the social communication category, excluding volunteer activities.

[10] The learning and training domain includes activities within the learning and training category.

[11] The transportation domain includes activities within the transportation category.

[12] Sleep and rest refers to activities performed to meet physiological needs. It includes nighttime sleep, naps, dozing, and brief periods of eye rest. It does not include activities such as using a mobile phone or listening to music while lying in bed before or after sleep.

[13] Personal hygiene care refers to routine hygiene and self-care activities performed independently, as well as self-health management and unpaid hygiene care provided by family members. It includes activities like using the toilet, brushing teeth, washing face and hands, taking a shower, bathing, soaking feet, applying makeup, skincare, combing hair, shaving, wearing (contact lenses or) glasses, trimming nails, pedicures, dressing, as well as monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar, administering insulin injections, taking medications, and treating wounds. It does not include paid health care services provided by doctors, nurses, or caregivers.

[14] Dining or other meals refers to any mealtime activities conducted at home, in restaurants (including at workplaces, schools, etc.), and at any other location for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. It includes eating meals, takeaway or fast food, snacks, desserts, and beverages, including water, drinks, alcohol, tea, and coffee. It does not include tasting or sampling food or beverages as part of paid work or business activities.

[15] Transportation refers to travel using any mode of transport (including walking) for various purposes. It includes commuting to and from work or school, traveling for client meetings or between different work locations, business trips to other regions, transportation to shopping centers or hospitals, and travel to fitness centers, cultural, leisure, and entertainment venues, and social locations. It also includes trips to airports, train stations, etc., to take flights or trains.

[16] Labor and employment refers to activities undertaken to earn wages, business income, work experience, or professional skills, such as the production of goods or provision of services. Wages may be received in cash or in kind, regardless of whether payment is ultimately received. Labor and employment activities include full-time, part-time, apprenticeship, internship, and probationary employment in various urban and rural enterprises and public institutions; primary sector activities such as farming (crop farming), animal husbandry, forestry, and fishery; production and business activities such as sales, repairs, installation, transport of goods or passengers, and home construction; paid services such as personal care, housekeeping, and transportation; flexible employment such as running online stores, live streaming, driving ride-hailing services, or delivering packages and takeout; and paid learning and training related to employment, including employer-arranged pre-employment training, Party school learning, on-the-job training, and off-the-job training. It does not include unpaid housework or volunteer work for family members.

[17] Learning and training refers to education at all levels, including various levels of academic education such as preschool, primary, junior high, high school, and higher education, as well as continuing education such as adult technical training and adult non-degree higher education. It also encompasses extracurricular learning, tutoring, homework, self-study, job-related skill learning, qualification certification, and short-term training in areas such as foreign languages, computing, and driving, as well as personal hobbies. Additionally, it includes participation in activities such as qualification courses, review courses for vocational examinations, etc. However, it does not include paid learning and training related to employment, such as employer-arranged pre-employment training, Party school learning, on-the-job training, and off-the-job training.

[18] Housework refers to unpaid household chores performed for oneself or family members. It includes cooking, laundry and cleaning, keeping pets, and other housework. It does not include unpaid household chores performed for non-family members.

[19] Accompanying and caring for family members refers to caregiving and providing support for family members of all ages. It includes assisting with daily routines, personal hygiene, and having conversations with family members, as well as tutoring, accompanying, and supervising learning. It does not include caregiving or support provided to non-family members.

[20] Purchase of goods or services refers to purchasing goods or receiving services in person or online. It includes buying consumables like food, clothing, and daily necessities, as well as durable goods such as appliances, furniture, and cars, from shopping malls, supermarkets, or online; arranging home appliance repairs or car maintenance at repair shops; conducting business at specialized institutions like banks, law firms, advertising agencies, wedding companies, and property rental agencies; and receiving services at salons, beauty centers, or spa facilities for haircuts, hair styling, manicures, pedicures, and massages. It also includes watching live streaming or TV shopping programs with the intent to purchase. It does not include accompanying others without purchasing goods or services oneself or seeking medical treatment or nursing services in hospitals, clinics, or healthcare facilities, or through online consultations with doctors or nurses.

[21] Seeking medical treatment refers to receiving medical treatment and nursing services in hospitals, clinics, or healthcare facilities, or through online consultations with doctors or nurses. It includes consultations, prescriptions, hospitalizations, surgeries, infusions, injections, physical examinations, medical advice, physical therapy, massages, vision tests, and similar activities. It does not include accompanying others to seek medical treatment or taking pets for medical care.

[22] Sports and fitness refers to fitness and physical exercise conducted at home or in sports and fitness venues for health purposes. It includes activities such as walking, running, hiking, and cycling; various martial arts like Tai Chi and Sanda; different dance forms like square dancing, fitness dance, aerobics, and yoga; ball sports such as basketball, football, table tennis, and badminton; water sports such as swimming, diving, snorkeling, sailing, and surfing; winter sports like ice skating and skiing; combat sports such as wrestling, judo, and boxing; and fitness training with equipment like barbells and dumbbells. It does not include intellectual games such as Go (Weiqi), Chinese chess, Chinese checkers, or bridge.

[23] Culture, leisure, and entertainment refers to cultural or leisure activities, hobbies, and visits to cultural venues and tourist sites. It includes reading newspapers and magazines, audio-visual entertainment, recreational games, personal hobbies, participation in cultural venue activities, tourism and other culture, leisure, and entertainment activities.

[24] Social communication refers to activities undertaken for social communication purposes. It includes social conversations, chatting, phone calls, texting, and emailing, as well as attending gatherings, reunions, weddings, and funerals, and participating in community service or volunteer activities organized by workplaces, communities, or charitable organizations. It does not include work- or study-related communication, correspondence, or emails.

[25] Use of ICT refers to the use of ICT (information and communication technology) by respondents while engaging in an activity. It includes going online via mobile phones, computers, or other devices.

Source:

https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202411/t20241115_1957436.html