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The dataWhat counts as life admin?
The research measured administrative tasks across ten domains of everyday life
Where does the time go?
Average minutes per day spent on admin, across the UK adult population
The emotional cost of admin
Net emotional score per domain — positive emotions minus negative emotions (scale 1–7)
Who bears the burden?
How admin patterns differ for disadvantaged groups vs. the population average of 59 min/day
| Group | Daily admin time | More likely to do | Less likely to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poor health | +9 min/day | Benefits, Health | Savings, Pension |
| Low financial wellbeing | +13 min/day | Benefits, Debt, Bills | Savings, Pension |
| Low income (<£20k) | −7 min/day | Benefits | Savings, Pension, Tax |
| Older (65+) | −21 min/day | Bills, Retirement | Childcare |
Source: Tables A2 & 4 — Martin, Delaney & Doyle (2022)
The research reports an average of 58.8 min/day, which would put the true figure closer to 19 billion hours per year but we have based it on a conservative estimate of ~45 min/day per UK adult, 15 billion hours a year.
Calculated from Everyday Administrative Burdens and Inequality by Lucie Martin, Liam Delaney and Orla Doyle (2022)