Throughout the year, although leisure time enjoyed by the public has increased, leisure expenses have decreased due to inflation, leading to lower satisfaction with annual vacation costs, according to analysis.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute announced today (27th) the results of the 2024 National Leisure Activity Survey, National Culture and Arts Activity Survey, and Worker Vacation Survey, which include these findings.
This survey, a government-approved statistical study, is conducted annually to understand the patterns of cultural and leisure enjoyment by citizens as well as the state of worker vacation usage.
In 2024, the average monthly leisure time for citizens was 3.7 hours on weekdays and 5.7 hours on holidays, similar to last year. However, leisure expenses were found to have decreased by about 14,000 won.
The use of annual leave for “rest” slightly increased compared to 2022, reaching 30.6%. However, the proportion of leave used for household chores significantly decreased to 14.4%.
Overall satisfaction with the use of annual leave increased, scoring 71.7 points, but satisfaction with annual vacation costs decreased to 65.9 points.
On average, the number of leisure activities participated in at least once by each person increased to 16.4, compared to the previous year.
Notably, the number of activities among those in their 60s and over 70 increased by 0.8 and 0.7 activities, respectively, showing a higher growth rate compared to other age groups.
The “direct viewing rate of cultural and artistic events,” a key indicator of cultural enjoyment, also rose to 63%, up 4.4 percentage points from the previous year, continuing the upward trend since 2021.
By category, movies accounted for 57%, popular music and entertainment for 13.6%, and musicals for 6.4%.
However, some citizens reported difficulties enjoying cultural and artistic programs due to lack of time (23%), lack of interesting programs (17.3%), high costs (17.1%), and lack of nearby facilities (17%).
The Ministry explained, “The main reason for the decline in satisfaction is believed to be the burden of increased vacation costs due to inflation.”
It further analyzed that due to the external factor of rising prices, spending on leisure activities has been restrained, leading to an increase in the proportion of rest or hobbies and entertainment activities instead of direct participation.