Time Use at Older Ages

Abstract

This article analyzes patterns of time use of older adults in the following nine countries: Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Using time-use surveys carried out in these countries between 1987 and 1992, the article describes country-level variations in the aggregate patterns of time use of older adults and examines changes in the patterns of time use associated with aging. The results suggest that there are large cross-national differences in the patterns of time use of older adults but remarkable similarities in the age patterns of activities. Results also suggest that a large fraction of time freed up by retirement from the labor market is reallocated to passive activities.