Senior Spotlight: The Most Popular Hobbies Among Retirees

The top picks just might surprise you - travel is NOT #1!

The retirement years are not just about NOT working – but about what you now can do instead! A study released earlier this year and published in the World Economic Forum reveals the top hobbies among retirees in the US and the UK. I know we were definitely surprised at the #1 hobby in the US… does this surprise you – ?


The most popular hobby in the US reported by almost half of US retirees is… cooking and baking! In the United Kingdom, the top reported hobby was reading. Here are the additional breakdowns by country:


United States Top Retiree Hobbies

#1: Cooking & Baking (44%)

#2: Reading (42%)

#3: Caring For Pets (39%)

#4: Gardening (34%)

#5: Traveling (29%)

#6: Outdoor Activities (28%)

#7: DIY / Arts & Crafts (26%)


United Kingdom Top Retiree Hobbies

#1: Reading (59%)

#2: Gardening (46%)

#3: Traveling (44%)

#4: Cooking & Baking (37%)

#5: Caring For Pets (34%)

#6: DIY / Arts & Crafts (30%)

#7: Outdoor Activities (29%)


We were a bit shocked that travel was not ranked higher among US retirees! We were not surprised that caring for a pet was among the top 5 hobbies in both the US and the UK, and seeing reading ranked so highly on both lists made us wonder what the top retiree reads are (the subject of another blog perhaps!)?


Do you feel like any hobbies are missing from these lists? Do you have hopes for retirement that involve all of these things…or none at all? As we always say, there is no one size and type of retirement that fits all. But by sharing lifestyle, travel and current trends – we hope you can curate your ideal next (and maybe most exciting) season in life.


Resource Used: What are the most popular hobbies among retirees? / World Economic Forum


Warmest wishes,


Bobbi


Bobbi Decker
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