China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Saturday started carrying out a nationwide survey on time use by local residents in an effort to gather information about the amount of time people spend doing various activities.

In a statement, the NBS said that the survey, which is scheduled to last through May 31, is a common practice around the world, and it can be used to assess people's life quality, measure the
contribution of unpaid work to economic development, and analyze the impact of policies related to people's livelihood and well-being.
China carried out two similar surveys in 2008 and 2018, respectively. Compared to the previous two surveys, the scope of the third survey expands nationwide while survey respondents cover the residents above the age of six.
The survey categories have been expanded to 34 to better reflect the situations and expectations of residents in areas such as work, studies, life, mobility, elderly care, seeing doctors, and cultural and entertainment.
"For example, by conducting the time use survey, we can obtain information such as when and where the elderly do exercise or take part in cultural and entertainment activities. This provides statistical support for policy-making in enriching cultural and sports services for the senior citizens, allowing them to share the fruits of development and enjoy their twilight years," said Zhang Lin, director of the Department of Social Science, Technology and Cultural Statistics at the NBS.
Speaking with the China Media Group (CMG), people of different gender and ages shared how they spend their time.
"I spend most of the day working," said a woman.
"I like to spend time tasting food," said a man.
"(I usually) go for a walk, play chess or listen to music," said a senior citizen.
Both children and adults said that they are busy with study or work on weekdays, so they want to spend time with their family, pets or on hobbies during weekends or holidays.
"On the weekends, I often spend time with my children," said a mother.
"During rest days or holidays, I would love to get closer to nature," said a man.
"Playing with my bird is the happiest time, and the most meaningful time is doing homework and studying," said a girl.