The average household is spending less on cultural and recreational activities than it has at any point in the past 20 years, according to a new study from the University of Waterloo.
The university’s Canadian Index of Wellbeing tracks Canadians’ quality of life dating back to 1994 by monitoring 64 different measurements across categories ranging from the environment and health to education levels and democratic engagement.
Its latest report suggests that Canadians’ levels of well-being fell in the aftermath of the 2008 recession.
“Our concern is that the recession hurt not only the economy … but peoples’ living standards fell dramatically (as well),” said Bryan Smale, the director of the index.
“Economic productivity has recovered since the recession, but our wellbeing hasn’t.”
Specifically, Smale’s team has found that Canadians are typically having a harder time accessing food and housing, while they’re more likely to be involved in what’s known as precarious work.
“They have less control over when that work occurs (and) how often they work, so that steals time away from the other parts of their lives,” he said.
The biggest impact is on the amount of time Canadians are allotting for leisure activities – which manifests itself in everything from taking fewer vacations to being less likely to volunteer.
In fact, the report finds, leisure spending in 2014 was at its lowest point in the 20-year period measured by the index.
There’s also a gender gap at play.
“It’s almost entirely women that are giving up that time, not men,” Smale said.
“Men are doing their part, but they’re not giving up their leisure time as much as women are to ensure that the household is running well.”
