BLS American Time Use Survey · 2025

How Americans spend their day

The average American's 24 hours, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey (2025). Hours per day across 18 major activity categories — national, weighted estimates.

Personal care9 hr 47 min
Socializing & leisure4 hr 36 min
Work3 hr 6 min
Household activities2 hr 0 min
Eating & drinking1 hr 7 min
Traveling1 hr 2 min
Education25 min
Caring for household25 min
Sports & recreation22 min
Shopping18 min
Other activities14 min
Telephone calls9 min
Religious & spiritual8 min
Volunteering7 min
Caring for others7 min
Personal care services6 min
Household services1 min
Government & civic0 min

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How the average American spends the day

Avg hours/day · 2025 · U.S. (national)

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey (2025). National estimates, weighted by TUFINLWGT; not designed for state-level detail. PUMSdata is independent and not affiliated with BLS.

Time use — FAQ

How many hours a day do Americans sleep?+

Americans sleep about 9.0 hours per day on average (2025), per the BLS American Time Use Survey.

How much time do Americans spend working?+

On an average day, Americans spend 3.1 hours working (averaged over everyone, including non-workers and weekends); among those who worked on their diary day it was 7.5 hours.

What is the American Time Use Survey?+

The ATUS is a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey in which respondents report everything they did over a 24-hour period. It produces nationally representative, weighted estimates of how Americans spend their time. It is a national survey and is not designed for state-level estimates.