Koreans watch screens more as sleep, work and study times drop, data suggests

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Koreans watch screens more as sleep, work and study times drop, data suggests

Published: 28 Jul. 2025, 16:59 Updated: 28 Jul. 2025, 19:04

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Sleep app analyzes users' sleep patterns by using sounds like snores and breathing. [ASLEEP]

Koreans are sleeping, working and studying less than five years ago, but spending more time consuming media, according to new government data.

The average amount of time spent sleeping has declined for the first time since statistics were first compiled in 1999, according to a 2024 survey released by Statistics Korea. At the same time, the proportion of people reporting sleep disorders rose across all age groups, exceeding 10 percent overall.

Fewer people are eating meals on time, while the proportion of those dining alone has increased for all three meals of the day.

Wake up early, sleep later

Koreans aged 10 and older slept an average of 8 hours and 4 minutes a day, down by 8 minutes from five years ago. Time spent eating and snacking also decreased by one minute to one hour and 54 minutes. Sleep duration had steadily increased since 1999 — from 7 hours and 47 minutes to eight hours and 12 minutes in 2019 — but declined for the first time in the latest survey.

Time spent on essential activities, such as sleep, meals and personal hygiene, totaled 11 hours and 32 minutes per day. On weekdays, the average sleep time was 7 hours and 45 minutes, shorter than Saturday with 8 hours and 31 minutes and Sunday with 8 hours and 49 minutes. By age, teens slept the most at 8 hours and 37 minutes, while people in their 50s slept the least at 7 hours and 40 minutes.

The proportion of people experiencing sleep disorders rose to 11.9 percent, up 4.6 percentage points from 7.3 percent five years ago. Those with sleep issues reported an average of 32 minutes of sleep loss per night. The average bedtime was 11:28 p.m., four minutes later than five years ago, and the average wake-up time was 6:59 a.m., nine minutes earlier.

Fewer respondents reported eating breakfast with 63.7 percent, lunch with 85.6 percent and dinner with 78.3 percent compared to five years ago, with breakfast showing the steepest drop at 4 percentage points. However, the proportion of people eating alone rose across all meals: 41.7 percent at breakfast, 26.9 percent at lunch and 25.7 percent at dinner.

The average time spent on work activities was 3 hours and 7 minutes per day, while the time spent on learning activities totaled 49 minutes. Household chores took 1 hour and 52 minutes and commuting 1 hour and 32 minutes. These combined for a total of 7 hours and 20 minutes of "obligatory time," 19 minutes less than in the previous survey.

A queen-sized bed in the loft inside a treehouse at wellness village Surakhyu in Nowon District in northern Seoul on June 28 [LEE SOO-JUNG]

More screen time

Leisure time increased by 21 minutes to an average of 5 hours and 8 minutes a day. Of that, 2 hours and 43 minutes were spent consuming media, including reading, watching TV and using the internet — up by 17 minutes. Media usage time has steadily increased since 2009, with the growth rate also accelerating.

Across all age groups, media took up the largest share of leisure time. For people in their 30s and older, media accounted for more than half their leisure activities. On Sundays, 93.4 percent of respondents used media for at least 10 minutes, with an average usage time of 3 hours and 41 minutes — nearly a quarter of the day, excluding sleep.

The proportion of people watching video content on Sundays jumped by 24.2 percentage points to 45.4 percent. Their average viewing time was 1 hour and 55 minutes. Similar increases were recorded on weekdays, from 15.8 percent to 40.4 percent, and on Saturdays, from 19.4 percent to 44.2 percent.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) devices, such as smartphones, tablets and computers, also rose across all activity types — for work by 1 hour and 12 minutes, leisure by 1 hour and 8 minutes, and commuting by 19 minutes.

On weekend mornings, from 6 a.m. to noon, many people used the time to catch up on sleep, while afternoon hours from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. were dominated by real-time video viewing.

The survey was conducted on 25,000 individuals aged 10 and older from 12,750 sample households across Korea. It is published every five years to assess the quality of life of Korean citizens.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]