Playing games time statistics
Published October 19, 2026 · StatsGalore
average hours per day spent in playing games and computer use for leisure, total age 15 years and over [1]
This reference summarizes the American Time Use Survey table for time spent in "Playing games and computer use for leisure" in 2025 annual averages. The measure is reported as average hours per day for the civilian population, with the table specifying all days of the week. Because the category combines playing games with computer use for leisure, it should be read as a combined leisure-technology measure rather than game-only time. [1]
The numbers
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total, 15 years and over | 0.62 average hours per day | [1] |
| Men | 0.80 average hours per day | [1] |
| Women | 0.46 average hours per day | [1] |
| 15 to 19 years | 1.53 average hours per day | [1] |
| 20 to 24 years | 1.08 average hours per day | [1] |
| 25 to 34 years | 0.91 average hours per day | [1] |
| 35 to 44 years | 0.44 average hours per day | [1] |
| 45 to 54 years | 0.39 average hours per day | [1] |
| 55 to 64 years | 0.26 average hours per day | [1] |
| 65 to 74 years | 0.43 average hours per day | [1] |
| 75 years and over | 0.48 average hours per day | [1] |
| Employed | 0.53 average hours per day | [1] |
| Not employed | 0.76 average hours per day | [1] |
| No household children under 18 | 0.66 average hours per day | [1] |
| Household children under 18 | 0.55 average hours per day | [1] |
What the headline measure means
The main 2025 figure is 0.62 average hours per day for people 15 years and over. This is an average across the civilian population in the table, not a count of accounts, devices, game sessions, visits, or only people who played on a particular day.
The category name matters. The table column is "Playing games and computer use for leisure," so the value combines game-playing with leisure computer use. It is part of a broader leisure-and-sports table that also includes watching TV, socializing, reading, relaxing or thinking, sports and recreation, and other leisure activities.
[1]Differences by sex and age
Men averaged 0.80 hours per day in the combined games-and-leisure-computer category in 2025, while women averaged 0.46 hours per day. These are daily population averages, so they summarize total time over all days of the week rather than participation rates.
Age patterns in the table show the largest listed value for 15 to 19 years at 1.53 average hours per day. The next younger-adult groups listed were 20 to 24 years at 1.08 and 25 to 34 years at 0.91. Older age groups shown in the table ranged from 0.26 for 55 to 64 years to 0.48 for 75 years and over.
[1]Work and household context
Employment status is another useful way to read the data. Employed people averaged 0.53 hours per day in 2025, while people classified as not employed averaged 0.76 hours per day. The table also separates full-time workers at 0.47 and part-time workers at 0.76, but the main comparison here is the broader employed versus not employed categories.
Household children are associated with different reported averages in the table. People with no household children under 18 averaged 0.66 hours per day, while those with household children under 18 averaged 0.55. Within the household-child rows, the table also reports 0.69 for children 13 to 17 years with none younger, 0.72 for children 6 to 12 years with none younger, and 0.29 where the youngest child was under 6 years.
[1]Important limits for use
These statistics are best used as time-use benchmarks, not as measures of game industry users or gaming revenue. They do not say how many people played games, how long players played conditional on playing, which devices were used, or whether the time was spent on video games, board games, mobile games, or general leisure computer activity.
Some estimates in the source table are suppressed when they do not meet American Time Use Survey publication standards. Unless otherwise specified, the note says the data refer to people 15 years and over, and it also cautions that people identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. The underlying table was last modified on June 25, 2026, while the reported data period is 2025 annual averages.
[1]Sources & notes
Data are average hours per day, all days of week, for the civilian population in the ATUS table. The category is "Playing games and computer use for leisure" and is not game-only. Suppressed estimates are marked because they do not meet ATUS publication standards. Unless otherwise specified, data refer to people 15 years and over; the table text states that people identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Last Modified Date: June 25, 2026.
The 2025 ATUS did not collect diaries for September 30–November 11 during the federal shutdown. Under the existing weighting method, later fourth-quarter diaries represent the missing days as well. See the BLS collection notice before making year-to-year comparisons.
Source review: 2026-10-19. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction