American Time Use Survey

Organizational, Civic, and Religious Activities

This category includes volunteer activities, civic obligations, and religious activities.

Volunteer activities include time spent volunteering for or through an organization. Civic obligations include government-required duties—such as serving jury duty or appearing in court—and activities that assist or influence government processes, such as voting or attending town hall meetings. Religious activities include those normally associated with membership in or identification with specific religions or denominations and engaging in personal religious practices, such as praying.

For a more detailed description of this activity category, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Tables on this page:

Other sources of ATUS data

Organizational, civic, and religious activities on weekdays and weekend days in 2011

Time spent in organizational, civic, and religious activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaged in these activities, averages per day on weekdays and weekends, 2011 annual averages
Activity Average hours per day, civilian population Average percent engaged in the activity per day Average hours per day for persons who engaged in the activity
Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2) Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2) Weekdays Weekends and holidays (2)

Total, organizational, civic, and religious activities

 .25 .61 11.0 21.2 2.25 2.88

Religious and spiritual activities

 .07 .35 5.7 16.9 1.30 2.04

Volunteering (organizational and civic activities)

 .14 .19 5.9 6.6 2.28 2.86

Volunteer activities

 .13 .19 5.8 6.5 2.30 2.86

Administrative and support activities

 .04 .04 2.2 2.2 1.88 1.70

Social service and care activities (except medical)

 .03 .04 1.5 1.9 2.24 1.94

Indoor and outdoor maintenance, building, and cleanup activities

 .01 .02 .3 .8 2.11 2.16

Participating in performance and cultural activities

 .01 .02 .3 .7 2.80 2.35

Attending meetings, conferences, and training

 .02 .01 .8 .5 2.12 2.04

Civic obligations and participation

 ~0 ~0 .2 .1 (3) (3)

Travel related to organizational, civic, and religious activities

 .04 .08 6.0 17.1 .62 .45

Footnotes:
(1) All estimates refer to organizational, civic, and religious activities done as a main (primary) activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
(2) Holidays are New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 2011, data were not collected about Christmas Day.
(3) Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey standard for quality and reliability.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.

These and other detailed activity estimates are also available in:

Table A-2: Time spent in detailed primary activities, and percent of the civilian population engaging in each detailed primary activity category, averages per day by sex on weekdays and weekends, 2011 annual averages (PDF)

For a further description of ATUS data and methodology, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Organizational, civic, and religious activities done by men and women in 2011

Time spent in organizational, civic, and religious activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaged in these activities, averages per day by sex, 2011 annual averages
Activity Average hours per day, civilian population Average percent engaged in the activity per day Average hours per day for persons who engaged in the activity
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women

Total, organizational, civic, and religious activities

 .35 .30 .40 14.0 11.7 16.2 2.53 2.59 2.49

Religious and spiritual activities

 .15 .12 .19 9.1 7.0 11.0 1.71 1.76 1.69

Volunteering (organizational and civic activities)

 .15 .14 .16 6.1 5.6 6.6 2.47 2.48 2.45

Volunteer activities

 .15 .13 .16 6.0 5.4 6.5 2.48 2.48 2.48

Administrative and support activities

 .04 .04 .04 2.2 1.9 2.5 1.83 1.96 1.73

Social service and care activities (except medical)

 .03 .03 .04 1.6 1.3 1.9 2.13 2.17 2.11

Indoor and outdoor maintenance, building, and cleanup activities

 .01 .01 .01 .4 .6 .3 2.14 2.25 1.94

Participating in performance and cultural activities

 .01 .01 .01 .4 .4 .4 2.60 3.07 2.17

Attending meetings, conferences, and training

 .02 .01 .02 .8 .5 1.0 2.11 2.25 2.04

Civic obligations and participation

 ~0 ~0 ~0 .1 .2 .1 (2) (2) (2)

Travel related to organizational, civic, and religious activities

 .05 .04 .06 9.3 8.1 10.4 .53 .52 .53

Footnotes:
(1) All estimates refer to organizational, civic, and religious activities done as a main (primary) activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
(2) Estimate is suppressed because it does not meet the American Time Use Survey standard for quality and reliability.
~0 Estimate is approximately zero.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.

These and other detailed activity estimates are also available in:

Table A-1. Time spent in detailed primary activities and percent of the civilian population engaging in each detailed primary activity category, averages per day by sex, 2011 annual averages (PDF)

For a further description of ATUS data and methodology, see the ATUS 2011 Technical Note.

Other sources of ATUS data

ATUS news releases

ATUS tables

ATUS charts

ATUS papers and publications

Last Modified Date: June 22, 2012

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