Changing Patterns of Spending on Leisure? Case of Finland, 1998-2012

In the 2000s, the landscapes of leisure consumption have changed dramatically in the Western societies. Many traditional industries such as tourism, sports, and cultural activities continue to flourish. In addition, the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become widely adopted in everyday life. Access to ICTs is often considered as essential while at work, home, and even when spending free-time outdoors. As the alternatives for leisure activities have increased, we have also witnessed a trend of narrowing population disparities in the consumption patterns. Against this development, it is possible to argue that engagement in various leisure activities has become more versatile and less connected with individuals’ socio-demographic background. But does this assumption also apply to older consumers, people living outside urban and densely-populated areas, economically less well-off people, single parents, and the less educated population segments? Or, is it possible to argue that the expenditure patterns of the many disadvantageous population segments have changed differently from those of the better-off segments during the past decade? The paper examines temporal changes in leisure consumption by examining Finnish household expenditure patterns between 1998 and 2012. The data are derived from nationally representative set of household budget surveys (N= 17,412). Empirical analyses will concentrate on money allocation on cultural services, books and magazines, and household media and technology. In particular, structural disparities by educational level, economic background, age and life-stage, gender, and place of residence will be compared.