While two in three Canadians report being satisfied with the amount of free time they have, younger women and people with disabilities are the ones who struggle most to find an adequate level, according to new Statistics Canada findings.
In 2023, just 58 per cent of women aged 15- to 29-years-old reported satisfaction with the amount of leisure time they had. For men of the same age, however, those who said they were happy with the amount of leisure time they had went up to 69 per cent.
Statistics Canada noted in 2022, 52 per cent of women 15-years-old and older reported caring for children or adults, as opposed to just 42 per cent of men.
The gender gap in free time satisfaction narrows when people reach age 30 and by age 50 slightly more women than men report more free time satisfaction.
Among retired Canadians, 86 per cent reported high levels of satisfaction with their free time.
The social survey also found disabled people, including those facing illness, were most unsatisfied (44 per cent). Living with a long-term illness can often require individuals to spend more time on personal care, such as attending medical appointments, the survey noted.
The survey also found rising costs of living due to inflation has put pressure on leisure time, as people work more and have less money to spend on leisure activities.
Nearly three-quarters of Canadians who reported no financial difficulties said they were satisfied with their free time. Satisfaction with leisure time dropped to 44 per cent among those who reported they were in financial trouble.
“This difference by financial difficulties was seen among all age groups,” the survey stated.