DS Time use surveys > Information on data EN REVAMP

Background

The harmonised European time use surveys (HETUS) are national surveys conducted in various European countries to quantify how much time people spend on various activities.

These include:

  • paid work
  • household chores and family care
  • personal care
  • voluntary work
  • social life
  • travel and leisure

This information is mainly used to support policy decisions and scientific research, including:

  • measuring and analysing quality of life or general wellbeing
  • measuring all kinds of work , including unpaid work and non-market production, and the development of household production accounts
  • informing and monitoring gender policies (work-life balance)

Time-use statistics can further supplement information on other areas of statistics, such as:

  • education (learning patterns)
  • health (physical activity patterns, feeding patterns, sleep patterns, etc.)
  • culture, media, sport (involvement)
  • environment (access to water, sanitation, and clean energy)
  • social behaviours
  • involvement in civic activities
  • use of ICT

Data collection

The main survey instruments are:

  • a household questionnaire
  • an individual questionnaire
  • a time-use diary, in which respondents are asked to record their daily activities in 10-minute time slots

Data are collected based on a ‘gentlemen's agreement’ between participating countries and Eurostat.

Reference period

HETUS is held about one time every 10 years. A HETUS round spans several years and countries usually may choose in which year of the round they will collect the data.

So far, there have been 2 HETUS rounds:

  • round 1: HETUS 2000 took place during 1998 to 2006 and was conducted in 15 European countries
  • round 2: HETUS 2010 took place during 2008 to 2015 and was conducted in 18 European countries: 15 EU members and 3 non-EU countries, namely Norway, Serbia, and Türkiye.

The 3rd round – HETUS 2020 – is currently ongoing. The methodological manual, the main document containing guidelines on harmonised data collection, was completed in early 2019 and was published as a re-edition in 2020. Around 20 countries plan to conduct a time use survey (TUS) during this 3rd round.

Comparability of results

Participating countries followed the methodological guidelines for the 2000 and 2010 rounds, using standardised survey designs and statistical classifications as far as possible. This means the data should be largely comparable across countries.

The main components of the survey were kept stable over time, largely ensuring cross-time comparability. Data from HETUS 2010 should be generally comparable with data from HETUS 2000.

However, HETUS collects detailed information on aspects of people's social lives only once a decade. Therefore, comparability over time can be problematic, as many activities become obsolete during this period and are replaced by new ones.

The data collection period also varies considerably across countries. In round 2 (2010), national data collection spanned over a period of 8 years (2008-2015).

Sampling of the population

Time use surveys, like any other survey, are based on representative population samples. Their results are subject to the usual types of errors associated with random sampling. The accuracy of the results depends on the sample size, sampling design effects, and the structure of the population under study.

Additionally, non-sampling errors need to be considered. For HETUS in particular, national statistical institutions decide the sampling size and design on the basis of their own specific needs. As a result, sampling designs and sample sizes vary considerably from one country to another.