Infographic for the Adults' People and Nature Survey for England - Year 4 - accessible version
Updated 2 October 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/the-people-and-nature-surveys-for-england-data-tables-and-publications-from-adults-survey-year-4-april-2023-march-2024/infographic-for-the-adults-people-and-nature-survey-for-england-year-4-accessible-version
1. Headlines findings of the Adults’ People and Nature Survey for England
The accredited Official Statistics in this publication are based on continuous online data collection between the 1st of April 2023 and the 31st of March 2024.
2. Green Places Visited
More than six in ten people had visited green and natural spaces in the previous 14 days.
- 67% of adults had visited a green and natural space in the last 14 days.
- 22% of adults reported having not visited a green and natural space in the last 14 days.
Urban green spaces (such as park, field, or playground) were visited by five in ten people in the last month.
- 51% Urban green space.
- 32% Field/Farm.
- 31% Woodland or forest.
- 31% River, lake or canal.
- 29% Beach, coastline or sea.
- 21% Nature or wildlife reserve.
- 20% Grounds of historic property or country park.
- 13% Hill, mountain or moorland.
- 8% Allotment or community garden.
3. Local Green Spaces
66% of people agree that local green spaces were within easy walking distance.
- 12% strongly agree.
- 11% disagree.
- 10% neither agree or disagree.
- 35% agree.
- 30% Strongly agree.
More people visit green spaces when local green spaces are a short walk away.
5 minutes or less
- 74% Any visits.
- 17% No visits.
- 10% Don’t know/prefer not to say.
Between 6 minutes and 15 minutes
- 70% Any visit.
- 20% No visit.
- 10% Don’t know/prefer not to say.
Between 16 minutes and 30 minutes
- 65% Any visit.
- 22% No visit.
- 13% Don’t know/prefer not to say.
Between 31 minutes and 45 minutes
- 59% Any visit.
- 22% No visit.
- 19% Don’t know/prefer not say.
More than 45 minutes
- 53% Any visit.
- 25% No visit.
- 22% Don’t know/prefer not to say.
I never walk to my nearest local green space.
- 21% Any visit.
- 71% No visit.
- 8% Don’t know/prefer not to say.
4. Quality of Green Space
More people though the quality of green and natural spaces had improved rather than reduced.
- 42% Improved quality.
- 35% No change.
- 23% Reduced quality.
5. Travel to green and natural spaces
More than two in three journeys (69%) to a natural space were below three miles in travel distance.
- 45% less than 1 mile.
- 23% 1 - 2 miles.
- 21% 3-10 miles.
- 11% more than 10 miles.
The mode of transportation switched from mostly active travel to mostly passive travel between two and three miles travel distance.
- 45% less than 1 mile - 90% active.
- 23% 1-2 miles - 65% active.
- 21% 3-10 miles - 36% active.
- 11% > 10 miles - 13% active.
6. Reasons for visiting green spaces
Getting fresh air and physical health and exercise were the main reasons for people taking a visit to a green and natural space.
- 57% To get fresh air.
- 49% For physical exercise.
- 40% For mental health and wellbeing.
- 27% To walk a dog.
- 26% To connect with nature.
For people who had visited a green and natural space in the last 14 days:
- 92% agreed spending time outdoors was good for their physical health.
- 89% agreed that spending time outdoors was good for their mental health.
7. Barriers to visiting green and natural space
The most comment reason cited for not spending free time outside was bad/poor weather.
- 43% Bad/poor weather.
- 25% Poor physical health.
- 24% Too busy at home.
- 21% Too busy with work/family commitments.
- 3% To stop coronavirus spreading/government restrictions.
The top five concerns or worries about visiting green and natural spaces for people that had not visited green and natural spaces in the previous 14 days are:
- 25% Lack of facilities.
- 24% Visiting after dark.
- 24% Anti-social behaviour.
- 18% Fear of crime.
- 15% Being on my own/isolated.
8. Protecting the environment
People undertook a range of household, gardening and broader lifestyle behaviours that are positive for the environment.
- 81% Recycled.
- 81% Brough own shopping bags.
- 76% Switched off appliances.
- 46% Composted food waste.
- 40% Take shorter showers to save water or energy.
- 38% Bought second-hand items.
Most people ranked climate change, plastic pollution, and the decline or extinction of animal and plant life as the environmental issues they are most concerned about.
- 47% Climate Change.
- 40% Pollution of rivers, lakes, and ground water.
- 38% Decline or extinction of animal and plant life.
- 37% Plastic pollution.
- 34% Building on green and natural spaces.
- 33% Pollution of the sea.
- 30% Growing amount of waste.