New research by the company Magazine.co.uk has revealed the most popular activities that people in the U.K. are electing to undertake in order to stay healthy, which represents a shift that has taken place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This applies to those residing across the UK and it is based on Google Searches. The data was provided to Digital Journal for review.
These activities are mainly hobbies, with some regarded more as ‘interests’ (generally if the activity requires participation it is a hobby; whereas seeking to learn more about a subject is more often classed as an ‘interest’).
Some of the activities include:
- Rock Climbing: Rock climbing is one of the most popular activities in the UK with a 55 percent growth of interest since the pandemic.
- Roller Skating: Roller skating has also seen a 55 percent growth.
- SUP: Standup paddleboarding has become one of the most popular aquatic activities with a 45 percent increase over the past two years.
Other hobbies that involve an outdoor pursuit have also climbed. For instance, kayaking took a massive hit with searches down 123 percent since 2019.
These examples are just a few of many newly sought interests. Since 2019 there has been a 48 percent surge in Google searches for “hobbies”, to over 1.2 million searches per month in 2022
In terms of less active hobbies, interest in trainspotting has surged 33 percent since the pandemic.
The overall list of ‘trending’ hobbies is:
| Rank | Hobby | MSV March 2019-Feb 2020 | MSV Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | % change in monthly search volume pre-pandemic vs. now |
| 1 | Rock Climbing | 18100 | 40500 | 55% |
| =1 | Roller Skating | 40500 | 90500 | 55% |
| =1 | Gardening | 60500 | 135000 | 55% |
| 2 | SUP | 12100 | 22200 | 45% |
| =2 | Angling | 5400 | 9900 | 45% |
| =2 | Golf | 110000 | 201000 | 45% |
| =2 | Pottery | 22200 | 40500 | 45% |
| 3 | Cross Stitch | 14800 | 22200 | 33% |
| =3 | Open water swimming | 4400 | 6600 | 33% |
| =3 | Patchwork | 5400 | 8100 | 33% |
| =3 | Sculpturing | 18100 | 27100 | 33% |
| =3 | Singing | 60500 | 90500 | 33% |
| =3 | Gaming | 33100 | 49500 | 33% |
| =3 | Trainspotting | 49500 | 74000 | 33% |
| =3 | Baking | 27100 | 40500 | 33% |
| =3 | Canoeing | 27100 | 40500 | 33% |
| =3 | Fishing | 27100 | 40500 | 33% |
| 4 | Amateur Photography | 1900 | 2400 | 21% |
| =5 | Painting | 110000 | 135000 | 19% |
| =5 | Resistance training | 6600 | 8100 | 19% |
| =5 | Rowing | 6600 | 8100 | 19% |
Despite these shifts in search popularity, more established hobbies remain in the top 10. The most popular hobby among U.K. subjects is drawing with an average of 246,000 Google searches per month, followed by golf with 201,000 searches.
Reading, DIY, gardening and painting also appeared in the most searched hobbies in the UK. The top hobbies, based on Internet activity, are:
| RANK | Hobby | MSV Jan 2021-Dec 2021 |
| 1 | Drawing | 246000 |
| 2 | Golf | 201000 |
| 3 | Reading books | 165000 |
| =3 | DIY | 165000 |
| =3 | Kayaking | 165000 |
| =3 | Tennis | 165000 |
| 4 | Gardening | 135000 |
| =4 | Painting | 135000 |
| 5 | Guitar | 90500 |
| =5 | Roller Skating | 90500 |
| =5 | Running | 90500 |
| =5 | Singing | 90500 |
| =5 | Sketching | 90500 |
There are some regional differences which become apparent when data relating to the twenty most populous cites is factored in. While drawing still dominates, topping searches in nine out of the 20 cities analysed, there are some areas where golf is top (in seven cities). The favoured pastime among Londoners is kayaking, despite the city not being situated on the coast. Golf was preferred by Scottish cities Edinburgh and Glasgow.
