Abstract
This study examines the impact of economic downturns on leisure life, using the Chinese General Social Survey data from 2010 to 2015. The results show that economic downturns significantly decrease individuals' time allocated to leisure activities. Specifically, participation in educational activities increases during economic downturns, while participation in social interaction and entertainment does not change. We also find that economic downturns significantly reduce the average frequency of individuals' participation in active entertainment activities (e.g. reading, participating in cultural activities, listening to music at home, participating in physical exercise, watching live sports games, and doing handwork), but do not significantly affect the average frequency of individuals' participation in passive entertainment activities (e.g. watching TV or DVD at home, watching movies in a cinema, shopping, gathering with relatives, gathering with friends, and surfing the Internet).