26 June, 2001
Inquiries: Ms Virpi Minkkinen +358 9 1734 2627, Mr
Hannu Pääkkönen +358 9 1734 3229,
Ms Mirja Liikkanen +358 9 1734 3212
Director in charge: Mr Risto Lehtonen
Finns participated actively in cultural events
Close on three out of four Finns aged 10 or over attended a cultural event or visited a museum in 1999. Cinema performances were among the most popular cultural events, followed by theatre performances, concerts and art exhibitions. The data are derived from Statistics Finland's Time Use Survey for which nearly 6,000 Finns were interviewed.
Almost one-half of those interviewed had attended the cinema in the last 12 months. The number of persons who had attended the cinema remained almost unchanged when compared to the Leisure Survey conducted in 1991. Young people aged under 25, of whom four out of five had visited the cinema, continued to be the most avid cinemagoers. However, compared to 1991, cinemagoing had increased among the population aged over 44.
Theatre was visited by 39 per cent and dance performances by approximately one-fifth of the respondents. The relative proportions remained roughly unchanged from 1991. Almost every second woman had visited the theatre and they had clearly also attended dance performances more frequently than men.
Concerts had been attended by 37 per cent of the respondents. The most frequent concertgoers were those aged 15 to 24, more than one-half of whom had been to a concert. Women continued to make the majority of concert audiences. Seven per cent of the respondents had gone to the opera in 1999, as against 4 per cent in 1991.
Compared to 1991, the proportion of the population who had visited art exhibitions or art museums decreased in 1999, from 44 per cent to 35 per cent. Other museums had been visited by 29 per cent of the respondents while in 1991 this proportion was 43 per cent. The proportion of young persons among the art exhibition and museum visitors declined in particular.
Reading of books down, creative writing up
During the year, 73 per cent of the respondents had read books whereas in 1991 the corresponding figure was 82 per cent. Book reading continues to be popular especially among the women, for close on four out of five women had read them at least once during the year. Young persons were still the most avid book readers, for as many as 90 per cent of those aged 10 to 14 read books. Reading grew decidedly less popular in the age group of 15 to 24, but even four out of five of them were book readers.
During the year, 13 per cent of the respondents wrote fiction as a hobby. In 1991, the corresponding proportion was 9 per cent. Women wrote more often than men. The most frequent writers were found in the age group of 10 to 24, of whom approximately 30 per cent had written fiction at least once in the last 12 months.
Photography was the hobby of 18 per cent and video filming of 6 per cent of those interviewed. Visual arts was reported as a hobby by 14 per cent of the respondents and 14 per also played some musical instrument. Men played an instrument more often than women, while women had visual arts as their hobby more often than men.
Physical exercise hobbies popular
According to the 1999 Time Use Survey, 92 per cent of the Finns aged 10 or over had practised some kind of physical exercise hobby during the last four weeks. Three out of four respondents had walked for exercise. Approximately one-third had cycled or done fitness exercises at home while 26 per cent reported swimming as their hobby. One-fifth of the respondents reported cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing or skating as their wintertime hobby.
Almost all the children aged 10 to 14 had taken some kind of physical exercise during the last four weeks preceding the interview. The most popular kinds of exercise among children were biking, walking, winter sports, team games and swimming.
Source: Leisure and cultural participation in 1991 and 1999, Culture and the media 2001:5. Statistics Finland