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Wellness and well-being were the main reasons people said they spent time in nature. Around 60% of people spent time in nature for physical health and exercise, 59% to get fresh air, and 55% for mental health and well-being (See Table 2.1).
Nearly 90% of people reported they felt happier after spending time in nature, with 82% saying they felt less stressed and/or anxious (See Table 2.2, Table 2.5).
Urban Greenspaces were the most visited type of green and natural space (or ecosystem) in Summer 2024, with 63% of people visiting them at least once a week (See Figure 3.1, Table 3.1).
Around 6.1 million nights spent away from home can be attributed to visits to spend time in nature (see Table 3.5).
The seaside was the most popular destination for overnight trips, with 64% of people reporting visiting Coastal Beaches, Dunes & Wetlands. This was followed by Forests & Woodlands, which accounted for 42% of overnight trips (see Figure 3.2, Table 3.3).
Walking (80%), appreciating scenery (40%), and eating or drinking out (28%) were the most popular activities for same-day visits to nature (See Table 4.1).
Bad weather was reported as the biggest barrier to spending time in nature at 24%, followed by 20% of people who indicated that a lack of reliable public transport was a barrier, and 12% who said it was a lack of safe footpaths. More than one in five rural dwellers (21%) said a lack of safe footpaths was a barrier, compared with 8% of those living in urban areas (See Table 6.1).
The results of the Recreation in Nature – How We Spent Summer 2024 is based on a CSO survey carried out in 2024, focusing on activities undertaken in June, July, and August 2024.
For more information on the survey design and methodology, please see Background Notes.
This is the first of two releases exploring the results of this survey, with the second release planned for later this year.
The CSO would like to thank everyone who took part in this survey. Completing CSO Surveys is really important because it means we are getting our facts straight from you and you know they are accurate, Because You Told Us.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (6 June 2025) published Recreation in Nature – How We Spent Summer 2024. This release is the first of two exploring the results of a CSO survey of 3,916 people, focusing on how they spent time in nature during June, July, and August 2024. These findings will contribute to the development of Ecosystem Accounts which look at the benefits nature provides to the economy and society, as well as informing related national policy initiatives.
Commenting on the release, Nova Sharkey, Statistician in the Ecosystem Accounts Section, said: "This release presents the results of a survey aimed at getting a better understanding of how people in Ireland enjoy our natural environment. Focusing on June to August 2024, we asked people about the types of green and natural spaces (or ecosystems) they visited on an everyday basis, the overnight trips they took to spend time in these types of spaces, and what they did while there. We asked people why they explored nature, what made it difficult to do so, and about the impact of spending time in nature on their well-being.
Why We Spent Time in Nature and How it Made Us Feel
Wellness and well-being were the main reasons people said they spent time in nature, with 60% spending time in nature for physical health and exercise, 59% to get fresh air, and 55% for mental health and well-being.
Nearly 90% of people said they felt happier after spending time in nature, with 82% reporting they felt less stressed and/or anxious. Females were more likely to spend time in nature for mental health and well-being (57%) than males (52%). People aged 40-49 were most likely to report they felt happier after spending time in nature (95%), while those aged 16-29 were least likely to agree (83%).
Most Popular Places to Spend Time in Nature on Same-Day or Overnight Trips
Overall, spending time in nature was a popular recreational activity for most people in Ireland in Summer 2024 based on the survey results, with only 3% of people saying they had not spent time in nature. The importance of urban green areas was highlighted by the survey, with 86% of people visiting these types of spaces at least once during June, July, and August 2024, and 63% doing so at least once a week.
Interestingly there were regional differences, with people living in the Eastern and Midland region were most likely to visit Urban Greenspaces (89%), while people living in the Southern region were mostly likely to visit Coastal Beaches, Dunes & Wetlands (85%).
Looking at same-day visits to nature, we can see that people enjoyed a range of activities, with the most popular being walking (80%), appreciating scenery (40%), and eating or drinking out (28%).
When it comes to overnight trips, more than half (55%) of people took at least one overnight trip within Ireland in Summer 2024, with 28% of people saying they did so mainly to spend time, or do activities, in nature. Based on the survey data, a total of 6.1 million nights spent away from home in Ireland could be attributed to trips where one of the main purposes was to spend time or do activities in nature. While this level of domestic travel is reflected in the CSO’s Household Travel Survey, this release estimates/captures the number of same-day visits and overnight trips taken to spend time in nature.
The seaside was the most popular destination for these overnight trips, with 64% of people reporting visiting Coastal Beaches, Dunes & Wetlands. Forests & Woodlands were the second most popular destinations for overnight trips to enjoy nature at 42%, followed by Urban Greenspace at 30%.
Barriers to Spending Time in Nature
Bad weather was reported as the biggest barrier to spending time in nature at 24%, while 20% of people indicated that a lack of reliable public transport was a barrier. The next highest barrier reported was a lack of safe footpaths at 12%.
Younger people were far more likely to report bad weather as a barrier to spending time in nature, with 40% of those aged 16-29 years citing bad weather as a barrier, compared with 8% of those aged 60-69.
Younger people were also far more likely to report a lack of reliable public transport as a barrier at 36%, compared with 11% of those aged 60-69 years. People living in rural areas were more likely to cite a lack of safe footpaths as a barrier to spending more time in nature (21%) than those in urban areas (8%).
When asked about green and natural spaces close to where they lived, 74% of respondents agreed their local green and natural spaces were within walking distance, 74% agreed they were places that encourage physical health and exercise, and 72% agreed they were of a high enough standard to want to spend time in. When asked about access to green and natural spaces for children, 68% agreed they were good places for children to play."