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Published: 6 February 2014

Finns spend more time alone

Being alone has increased over the past ten years. On the level of total population, people spent around seven hours per day of waking time alone. The increase in being alone is visible for both women and men and in all age groups. Women aged 65 or over spent most time alone. On the level of total population, men spent more time alone than women.

Women’s time spent alone of waking hours by age in 1999 to 2000 and 2009 to 1010, population aged 10 or over, minutes per day

Apart from being alone at home or outside, being alone can also refer to, for example, seeking solitude in one's own room even if there are other people in the home. Being together does not necessarily mean doing something together, being close by one another is sufficient.

Men’s time spent alone of waking hours by age in 1999 to 2000 and 2009 to 2010, population aged 10 or over, minutes per day

Parents spend less and less time with their children

Parents, in particular mothers, spent less time with their children aged under 10 than ten years ago. Approximately five and a half hours of waking time was spent with children aged under 10, while ten years ago parents spent six hours of waking time with their children. Even though mothers spent more time with their children than fathers, they did, however, spend less time with their children now than ten years ago. Fathers spend considerably more time with their children on weekends than on weekdays, while the differences between weekdays and weekends are not as large for mothers.

Time spent by parents with children aged under 10 by gender on weekdays and weekends 1999 to 2000 and 2009 to 2010, minutes per day

Source: Time Use Survey 2009, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Riitta Hanifi (09) 1734 2946, Hannu Pääkkönen (09) 1734 3229, ajankaytto@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 6.2.2014