○ Utilized raw data from 2020 Survey on Quality of Life of Gyeonggi Residents targeting 16,000 households in the province
○ Divided by birth year into Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, baby boomers, and seniors, and analyzed state of leisure activities and differences in leisure perception among generations
○ Proposed monitoring of changes in leisure activities of Millennials and Generation Z, development of leisure-specialized districts (tentative), and expansion of leisure programs tailored to seniors

Recent research has shown that differentiated leisure activity policies that consider the unique characteristics of each generation are necessary as differences in leisure activity values are clearly evident even between Millennials (born between 1980 and 1994) and Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2005).

On December 6, the Gyeonggi Research Institute (GRI) announced the publication of a report titled “Analysis of the Leisure Activity Characteristics of Gyeonggi Residents by Generation.” This report re-examined the leisure activity elements of the 2020 Survey on the Quality of Life of the Gyeonggi Residents conducted on 16,000 households from September to November last year.

The GRI classified members of the households by their year of birth: Generation Z (1995–2005), Millennials (or Generation Y, 1980–1994), Generation X (1964–1979), baby boomers (1955–1963), and seniors (1954 or earlier).

Based on Gyeonggi’s population of approximately 13,315,000 last year, the generational figures are as follows: (a) 12.3% Generation Z, (b) 21.3% Millennials, (c) 27.4% Generation X, (d) 13.2% baby boomers, (e) 13.1% seniors, and (f) 12.6% babies and children.

According to the GRI’s survey on the importance each person places on the balance between work and leisure, Millennials were at 2.64 points out of 4, the highest among all generations, whereas Generation Z was the lowest at 2.49 points. This reveals that different values exist even between Millennials and Generation Z, the closest generations. Similarly, in the category of leisure life satisfaction (out of 10 points), Millennials and Generation Z recorded the highest and the lowest scores at 6.00 and 5.76, respectively. This is assumed to be related to the fact that Generation Z also had the lowest scores among all age groups in leisure time sufficiency on weekdays (5.37 points) and weekends (6.03 points) as well as in leisure expense sufficiency (5.11 points).

When asked the purpose of leisure activities, 52.9% of Generation Z and 41.4% of Millennials both responded “personal pleasure,” but showed a significant difference in “hours spent with family” with Generation Z at 2.9% (lowest) and Millennials at 16.6%. Meanwhile, seniors were the only group whose leisure purpose was more focused on “health” (36.2%) than “personal pleasure” (34.1%).

Regarding leisure activities in which respondents normally engage, seniors showed a high percentage in watching TV and taking walks, whereas lower age groups showed high percentages in gaming, online searches, and social media.

Major implications derived from this survey for each generation are as follows: (a) Generation Z seeks personal pleasure, faces great financial burdens, and is unsatisfied with tourism life; (b) Millennials pursue both private life and family activities, lead leisure trends, and are active consumers; (c) Generation X is sensitive to trends despite being an older generation and engages in a variety of leisure activities; (d) baby boomers experience difficulties in leisure activities due to spousal absence and/or bad health; and (e) seniors cannot easily enjoy leisure activities due to health issues despite having ample time for them.

Based on these results, the GRI has proposed the following policies according to the need for diverse leisure-related policies for different age groups: (1) construction of leisure-specialized districts (tentative) linking demand for leisure sports that is growing among all age groups with Gyeonggi Province’s natural resources and superior accessibility; (2) improvement of neighborhood sports facilities and expansion of a sports club model considering the participation conditions for each generation; and (3) establishment of barrier-free leisure facility environments to extend leisure programs tailored to the growing population ratio of older generations.

Jeong Dae-young, a researcher at the GRI, said, “Millennials and Generation Z are both quick and sensitive in reacting and adapting to rapidly changing consumer trends, but their values in leisure activities reveal certain differences. Big data, including social media and credit card usage, needs to be reflected in comprehensive analyses of their leisure preferences and changes, which must then be applied to actual policies.”