Data on how people in the UK spent their time in March 2022 compared with before the coronavirus pandemic, using Time-use survey data from 2022 and Time-use study data from 2014 to 2015. These data also contains estimates on how people spent their time throughout the pandemic and estimates by different demographics, including by sex, ethnicity, income and disability status.

IntroductionThis study investigated older adults' emotional and social experiences of physical activity and exercise during the first Covid-19 lockdown in England.MethodsParticipants were 24 older adults (M = 74 years, SD = 5.0) either physically active or inactive before lockdown. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the start of the pandemic in England, and when restrictions were lifted eight weeks later.ResultsTemplate analysis revealed three main themes: a Sense of Purpose for Being Physically Active, Routes for Engagement, and Inactive by Force? with different sub-themes for active and inactive participants. The lockdown restrictions emphasised the need to keep physically active in both active and inactive participants, but they perceived barriers differently. Both active and inactive participants found a renewed sense of purpose in walking outdoors for exercise when restrictions eased, enhancing their physical and mental well-being.DiscussionTo reduce barriers and emphasise that exercise is for all ages and all levels of mobility, multi-modal recommendations are presented for educating, promoting, supporting, and enabling older adults to engage in physical activity and exercise.

The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) is an omnibus survey that collects data on a range of subjects commissioned by both the ONS internally and external clients (limited to other government departments, charities, non-profit organisations and academia).

Data are collected from one individual aged 16 or over, selected from each sampled private household. Personal data include data on the individual, their family, address, household, income and education, plus responses and opinions on a variety of subjects within commissioned modules.

The questionnaire collects timely data for research and policy analysis evaluation on the social impacts of recent topics of national importance, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cost of living, on individuals and households in Great Britain.

From April 2018 to November 2019, the design of the OPN changed from face-to-face to a mixed-mode design (online first with telephone interviewing where necessary). Mixed-mode collection allows respondents to complete the survey more flexibly and provides a more cost-effective service for customers.

In March 2020, the OPN was adapted to become a weekly survey used to collect data on the social impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the lives of people of Great Britain. These data are held in the Secure Access study, SN 8635, ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, 2019-2023: Secure Access. Other Secure Access OPN data cover modules run at various points from 1997-2019, on Census religion (SN 8078), cervical cancer screening (SN 8080), contact after separation (SN 8089), contraception (SN 8095), disability (SNs 8680 and 8096), general lifestyle (SN 8092), illness and activity (SN 8094), and non-resident parental contact (SN 8093).

From August 2021, as coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifting across Great Britain, the OPN moved to fortnightly data collection, sampling around 5,000 households in each survey wave to ensure the survey remains sustainable.

The OPN has since expanded to include questions on other topics of national importance, such as health and the cost of living. For more information about the survey and its methodology, see the ONS https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/methodologies/opinionsandlifestylesurveyqmi">OPN Quality and Methodology Information webpage.

ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, 2019-2025: Secure Access

The aim of the COVID-19 Module within this study was to help understand the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on people, households and communities in Great Britain. It was a weekly survey initiated in March 2020, and since August 2021, as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the survey has moved to fortnightly data collection, sampling around 5,000 households in each survey wave. The study allows the breakdown of impacts by at-risk age, gender and underlying health condition. The samples are randomly selected from those that had previously completed other ONS surveys (e.g., Labour Market Survey, Annual Population Survey). From each household, one adult is randomly selected but with unequal probability: younger people are given a higher selection probability than older people because of under-estimation in the samples available for the survey.

The study also includes data for the Internet Access Module from 2019 onwards. Data from this module for previous years are available as End User Licence studies within GN 33441. Also included are data from the Winter Lifestyle Survey for January and February 2023.

Latest edition information

For the twelfth edition (November 2025), data and documentation for the main OPN survey for waves to EC to FD-FE (January 2024 - February 2025) have been added. Data and documentation for the Childcare Options Module (July to November 2019 and January - February 2020) have also been added.

IntroductionThis study investigated older adults' emotional and social experiences of physical activity and exercise during the first Covid-19 lockdown in England.MethodsParticipants were 24 older adults (M = 74 years, SD = 5.0) either physically active or inactive before lockdown. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the start of the pandemic in England, and when restrictions were lifted eight weeks later.ResultsTemplate analysis revealed three main themes: a Sense of Purpose for Being Physically Active, Routes for Engagement, and Inactive by Force? with different sub-themes for active and inactive participants. The lockdown restrictions emphasised the need to keep physically active in both active and inactive participants, but they perceived barriers differently. Both active and inactive participants found a renewed sense of purpose in walking outdoors for exercise when restrictions eased, enhancing their physical and mental well-being.DiscussionTo reduce barriers and emphasise that exercise is for all ages and all levels of mobility, multi-modal recommendations are presented for educating, promoting, supporting, and enabling older adults to engage in physical activity and exercise.

Higher Education Graduate Outcomes Statistics: UK, 2020/21 This Statistical Bulletin is the annual first release of Graduate Outcomes survey data. These experimental statistics cover UK higher education providers (HEPs) including alternative providers (APs) and further education colleges (FECs) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Data is collected approximately 15 months after HE course completion. The 2020/21 Graduate Outcomes cohort finished their qualifications in the second academic year affected by COVID-19. While Cohort A finished their qualifications during late summer and early autumn 2020, in a period of relatively loose restrictions, restrictions began to increase over the course of the academic year. Cohort B graduated into a period of short national lockdowns, followed by the start of the second national lockdown in January 2021. Cohort C likewise graduated in lockdown, but the progress of the vaccination programme led to a gradual easing of restrictions as spring progressed; by the time Cohort D, the largest Graduate Outcomes cohort, began to finish their qualifications in May 2021, most adults had been offered a first vaccine dose, and restrictions were gradually being phased out across the UK. The circumstances under which 2020/21 graduates were surveyed were quite different. As surveying for Cohort A opened in December 2021, Omicron variant cases were rising and new guidance was being issued requiring masks in indoor spaces and encouraging people to work from home where possible, the new restrictions were considerably more lenient than those which were introduced a year previously. By the time the Cohort B survey period opened in March 2022, all legal restrictions had been lifted in England, and remaining restrictions were phased out in other nations over the next few months. Although COVID cases rose from the start of June to a summer peak in early July, no legal restrictions were in place during the survey periods for Cohorts C and D. An insight briefing provides further detail on analysis undertaken to explore the impact of the pandemic, and the conclusions identified. This statistical bulletin has been produced by HESA in collaboration with statisticians from the Office for Students, the Department for Education, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland. It has been released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

According to a Pi Datametrics report on travel trends during lockdown, Google UK searches for "staycation" increased by over *** percent in July 2020 compared to the previous summer. The other top growing holiday searches also evidenced an increasing interest in vacations within the United Kingdom after travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 outbreak were lifted. Searches for "glamping holidays uk" and "uk staycation" increased by over *** percent respectively.

Travel was brought to a standstill by COVID-19, threatening the UK economy. With restrictions now lifted, let's review some emerging trends in the UK tourism industry.

In 2022, the total attendance of professional sporting events in the United Kingdom reached a new peak of **** million, an increase of over ** million on the previous year. This is likely down to the lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, as well as major sporting events taking place in the country such as the UEFA Women's EURO.

In April 2022, approximately ** percent of people in Great Britain thought that office workers were somewhat more productive when they work from home, although ** percent thought they would be slightly less productive. Working from home is still quite widespread in Great Britain despite the lifting of COVID-19 related restrictions. As of May 2022, around ** percent of Britain's workforce had worked from home at some point in the previous week.

Further information about the survey series, and links to publications, can be found on the Scottish Government's Scottish Household Survey webpages.

COVID-19 restrictions

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the SHS was conducted by telephone or via MS Teams in 2020 and 2021 (SNs 9186 and 9187). Face-to-face interviewing resumed for SHS 2022 (SN 9294) when restrictions had been lifted.

SHS 2022:

Face-to-face interviewing

Face-to-face interviewing resumed for SHS 2022 since COVID-19 pandemic restrictions had been lifted.

HTML data dictionaries

Users should note that the HTML data dictionaries supplied with the SHS 2022 may include some string (text) variables that are not included in the UKDS version.

The Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN) is an omnibus survey that collects data from respondents in Great Britain. Information is gathered on a range of subjects, commissioned both internally by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and by external clients (other government departments, charities, non-profit organisations and academia).

One individual respondent, aged 16 or over, is selected from each sampled private household to answer questions. Data are gathered on the respondent, their family, address, household, income and education, plus responses and opinions on a variety of subjects within commissioned modules. Each regular OPN survey consists of two elements. Core questions, covering demographic information, are asked together with non-core questions that vary depending on the module(s) fielded.

The OPN collects timely data for research and policy analysis evaluation on the social impacts of recent topics of national importance, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the cost of living. The OPN has expanded to include questions on other topics of national importance, such as health and the cost of living.

For more information about the survey and its methodology, see the gov.uk OPN Quality and Methodology Information (QMI) webpage.

Changes over time

Up to March 2018, the OPN was conducted as a face-to-face survey. From April 2018 to November 2019, the OPN changed to a mixed-mode design (online first with telephone interviewing where necessary). Mixed-mode collection allows respondents to complete the survey more flexibly and provides a more cost-effective service for module customers.

In March 2020, the OPN was adapted to become a weekly survey used to collect data on the social impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the lives of people of Great Britain. These data are held under Secure Access conditions in SN 8635, ONS Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, 2019-2023: Secure Access. (See below for information on other Secure Access OPN modules.)

From August 2021, as coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted across Great Britain, the OPN moved to fortnightly data collection, sampling around 5,000 households in each survey wave to ensure the survey remained sustainable.

Secure Access OPN modules

Besides SN 8635 (which includes the COVID-19 Module), other Secure Access OPN data includes sensitive modules run at various points from 1997-2019, including Census religion (SN 8078), cervical cancer screening (SN 8080), contact after separation (SN 8089), contraception (SN 8095), disability (SNs 8680 and 8096), general lifestyle (SN 8092), illness and activity (SN 8094), and non-resident parental contact (SN 8093). See the individual studies for further details and information on how to apply to use them.