Kiwis not couch potatoes - study

But we don't play much sport, either

Fairfax

BOX WATCHING: The OECD's latest Society at a Glance report has New Zealanders spending 25 percent of their leisure time watching TV.

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New Zealanders spend less time watching television than people in other industrialised countries, according to figures released today by the OECD.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's latest Society at a Glance report has New Zealanders spending 25 percent of their leisure time watching TV. At the other end of the scale Mexicans absorb 48 percent of their leisure time as couch potatoes.

But the leisure statistics compiled in 18 of the OECD's 30 member countries belie perceptions of New Zealand as a sports mad nation. New Zealanders join Belgians, Americans and Mexicans in using only 5 percent of their leisure time in sports activities. Spaniards devote more of their leisure time – 12 percent – than anyone else playing sport.

The French spend most time per day eating and drinking, with New Zealanders runners-up in those stakes.

Only the Japanese, French and Mexicans spend less time per day than New Zealanders in leisure activities. Norwegians come up as the most leisurely lot.

The report finds New Zealanders satisfied with their lives but not especially rich. They rank sixth out of 30 in terms of overall satisfaction with life but are in the bottom third in terms of income per capita.

And crime is high with New Zealand second only to Ireland in internationally comparable data on vehicle, theft and "contact" crimes.

Twenty-two percent of New Zealand experienced such a crime in a 12-month period, compared to an OECD average of 16 percent.

While most OECD countries have higher suicide rates for older people, New Zealand and Norway were unusual in having higher suicide rates for young adults than for the old.

- NZPA