CONTINUOUS HOUSEHOLD SURVEY BULLETIN 2007/08

FOUR OUT OF FIVE HOUSEHOLDS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT

The Continuous Household Survey 2007/08 has found that 81% of Northern Ireland households are very or fairly concerned about the environment.

Nine in ten households (91%) in Northern Ireland regularly recycle at least one of the following; glass, cans or paper. There has been a significant increase in the proportion regularly recycling from 2003-04 (57%). Eighty-eight percent of households now regularly recycle paper, 82% recycle their cans and 69% recycle glass.

The Continuous Household Survey Bulletin 2007/08 was published today by the Central Survey Unit of the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The bulletin provides summary information as well as some trend data from previous years. It includes information on - smoking, household composition, debt, internet access, health, sport and leisure, environmental issues, mobile phones and job applications.

The Survey's key findings include:

A quarter (23%) of adults were smokers in 2007/08, a decrease from 25% the previous year. 61% of respondents stated that smoking was not allowed anywhere in their home, 18% allowed it in certain places and 16% allowed smoking anywhere in their home.

In 2007/08 the average household size in Northern Ireland was 2.5. Single occupant households accounted for 28% of households; this has remained relatively unchanged for the last decade (26% in 1997/98). 34% of males aged 25-29 years lived with their parents compared to 15% of females of the same age.

Half of individuals (51%) aged 16 or older had at least one form of credit facility. Credit cards were the most common credit facility with 47% having a credit card.

One quarter (23%) borrowed money in the previous 12 months. 9% had a bank overdraft, 5% had taken out a fixed term loan from a bank or building society and 5% had received a loan from a credit union.

Individuals were asked who they would contact if they were in financial difficulty. The most common answers were family or friends (62%) followed by bank or building society personnel (27%). One in ten (10%) said they would not contact anyone for help.

The proportion of households with broadband internet connection has increased significantly every year from 16% in 2004/05 to 47% in 2007/08. Among those household with internet access 86% had broadband access.

The most common reasons for accessing the internet were to use email (55%), finding out about goods and services (47%), general browsing (45%) and buying or ordering tickets (44%).

The majority of individuals (83%) reported their health as being good or fairly good in the previous 12 months.

One third of adults (35%) reported having a long standing illness and a quarter of adults (25%) reported having a long-standing illness that limited their activities. More females (26%) than males (23%) reported a limiting long-standing illness.

Half (48%) of individuals aged 16 years or more had participated in a sport in the previous 12 months compared to 52% in 2006/07. Individuals were asked if any factors put them off participating in sport. The most common factors were not having enough time (28%), being unfit (21%) and feeling too old (17%).

Two-thirds (66%) reported never visiting a public library, 17% had visited a library at least once a month. 77% of those who had used a public library did so to borrow or renew books.

84% of individuals aged 16 years or more owned a mobile phone in 2007/08 an increase from 82% the previous year. Mobile phone ownership among those aged 50+ (68%) has increased continuously from 1999/00 when 13% reported owning a mobile phone.

One in ten (9%) of those aged 16-74 years had applied for a job in the previous 12 months; of these 60% had applied for two or more positions. Just under half (48%) had been successful in their application and 95% of these accepted the job offer.

Copies of the bulletin and tables are available from the Central Survey Unit web site at www.csu.nisra.gov.uk, where a wide range of additional CHS trend data can also be obtained.

Alternatively, copies of the bulletin and tables can be obtained from:

Central Survey Unit
NISRA
McAuley House
2-14 Castle Street
Belfast
BT1 1SY

Tel: (028) 9034 8209
Fax: (028) 9034 8276