UK Social Trends 1995

Government statistics on Social Trends in the UK for 1995 published today show that Britons now spend as much of their lives in education and retirement as they do in full-time employment.

The end of the recession has meant that the number of overseas holidays taken is at an all-time high, accounting for more than 40% of all breaks. There is also a trend towards two holidays per year. 16% of people took two holidays compared to one in eight in 1971. Leisure time at home has changed, with nearly three quarters of households now owning a video recorder. In addition to taping TV programmes, more than one in three people watched at least one hired video a month in 1993.

The average person watched 25 hours 41 minutes of television per week; nearly three and three-quarter hours per day. The young watched least television; in 1993 the 4-15 age group watched an average of 19 hours 12 minutes per week, barely half the tally for the over 65s (35 hours 47 minutes) and significantly less than their parents in the 35-64 range (26 hours 24 minutes).

Social Trends 1995, HMSO, £34.95