Is ageing becoming more active? Exploring cohort-wise changes in everyday time use among the older population in Sweden

The time older people spend on various daily activities is critical for their health and well-being. New generations of older adults are increasingly expected to participate in ‘active’ activities. We explore shifts in active time use among upcoming cohorts of older people in Sweden. Recognizing the diverging meanings associated with the active ageing concept, we develop a classification model comprising the spheres of work, social engagement, and active leisure. We observe differences in time use of the ‘older middle-aged’ (pre-retirement), ‘young old’, and ‘older old’ observed in 2000/2001 and 2010/2011. We draw on two cross sections of Swedish time-use survey data covering 120 activities related to people’s everyday lives. We measure between-cohort differences in mean time use and employ covariate analysis to control for the influence of group-wise changes in socio-demographics. Linear regression is used to explore social differentiation, e.g. the influence of gender. Comparisons between new and previous generations indicate substantial increases in overall active ageing activity: increases by 7 h per week among the older old and 3.5 h among the young old and older middle-aged. New generations spend more time on work, paid or unpaid, and leisure digital interaction; for some, this is counteracted by less free time spent on social engagement. The new generation of the older old group spends more time on outdoor activity and exercise. These time-use patterns are gendered and dependent on education, mainly due to changes in cohort composition.