G4: Engagement with the natural environment
Short Description
This indicator will track changes in people’s engagement with the natural environment. It is our objective that, alongside improvements in natural environments, people are also engaging more with them. Spending time in the natural environment is important for both human health and well-being, and increasing pro-environmental behaviours to support nature recovery.
A range of measurements may be indicative of engagement with the natural environment, but for the purposes of this indicator, data covering the broadest possible aspects of nature and engagement were sought. In addition, other measures of engagement relating to people’s care and concern for the environment are measured as part of indicators ‘G5 People engaged in social action for the environment’ and ‘G6 Environmental attitudes and behaviours’.
Readiness and links to data
This indicator is not available for reporting in 2024 in a finalised form. A revised interim indicator is provided here that presents data from 3 of Natural England’s nationally representative surveys on time spent in natural spaces (spanning a wide set of green and blue spaces, both urban and rural):
1) The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey which collected data for adults across the survey years 2009/2010 to 2018/2019.
2) The People and Nature Survey (PANS) which began collecting data for adults on an on-going basis from 2 April 2020.
3) The Children’s People and Nature Survey (C-PANS) which collects data for children twice yearly (beginning in August 2021), once during school holiday-time and once in term-time.
Work to compare PANS data with MENE data collected before 2020 found that due to changes in survey mode and questions, PANS data cannot be compared with MENE data. More information on PANS and C-PANS methods, outputs and the full questionnaires, are available on the PANS homepage.
Summary data for G4b and G4c are available in the Statistics and technical details for 2024 national indicators publication.
Notes on indicator
Adults' and children’s results are not directly comparable due to the alternative use of child-appropriate questions in the children’s surveys.
Indicator components
Figure G4a: Frequency of visits to the natural environment in the past 12 months by adults in England, survey years 2009/2010 to 2018/2019
Table G4a: Frequency of visits to the natural environment in the past 12 months by adults in England, survey years 2009/2010 to 2018/2019
| Year | At least once a week | Less than once a month | Never | Once or twice a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009/2010 | 53.51 | 16.84 | 9.60 | 20.05 |
| 2010/2011 | 53.41 | 15.92 | 9.30 | 21.38 |
| 2011/2012 | 54.94 | 16.06 | 8.40 | 20.60 |
| 2012/2013 | 54.70 | 16.26 | 8.84 | 20.20 |
| 2013/2014 | 57.64 | 14.96 | 7.56 | 19.84 |
| 2014/2015 | 58.94 | 13.69 | 8.42 | 18.95 |
| 2015/2016 | 57.58 | 13.69 | 9.74 | 18.99 |
| 2016/2017 | 63.88 | 10.81 | 7.67 | 17.63 |
| 2017/2018 | 62.37 | 10.58 | 7.62 | 19.43 |
| 2018/2019 | 64.69 | 9.87 | 6.00 | 19.45 |
Trend description for G4a
MENE results showed an increase in the proportion of adults visiting the natural environment at least once a week, from 54% in 2009/2010 to 65% in 2018/2019. The results showed a corresponding decrease in the proportion of adults visiting the natural environment less frequently than once a month or never.
Assessment of change
There has been an increase (improvement) in the percentage of adults visiting the natural environment at least once a week over the short-term assessment period. The time series is not long enough to make an assessment over the medium and long-term time periods.
Change since 2018 has also been assessed. There has been an increase (improvement) in the percentage of adults visiting the natural environment at least once a week since 2017/2018. However, this is based on only 2 data points so should be considered as indicative and not evidence of a clear trend.
Further information on this assessment, along with details on the methodology, is provided in the Assessment background page. Summaries by 25 Year Environment Plan goal and information on indicator links are presented in the Assessment results pages.
Table G4a: Assessment of change
| Component | Subcomponent | Period | Date range | Percentage change | Smoothing function | Assessment of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4a | At least once a week | Short term | 2012/2013 to 2017/2018 | 13.92 | Loess | Improvement |
| G4a | At least once a week | Medium term | N/A | N/A | N/A | Not assessed |
| G4a | At least once a week | Long term | N/A | N/A | N/A | Not assessed |
Note that assessment categories for the short term were assigned based on smoothed data, so percentage change figures in Table G4a may differ from unsmoothed values quoted elsewhere. Percentage change refers to the difference seen from the first to last year in the specified date range.
Figure G4b: Frequency of visits to green and natural spaces in the past 12 months by adults in England, survey years 2020/2021 to 2022/2023
Table G4b: Frequency of visits to green and natural spaces in the past 12 months by adults in England, survey years 2020/2021 to 2022/2023
| Year | At least once a week | Less than once a month | Never | Once or twice a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/2021 | 71.27 | 13.63 | 4.02 | 11.07 |
| 2021/2022 | 69.41 | 13.97 | 5.17 | 11.44 |
| 2022/2023 | 69.16 | 14.02 | 3.52 | 13.27 |
Trend description for G4b
PANS results cannot yet show yearly trends or be directly compared to the earlier MENE results. However, data show that around 70% of adults (71% in 2020/2021 and 69% in 2021/2022 and 2022/2023) said they had spent free time outside in green and natural spaces on average at least once a week in the past 12 months. Approximately 26% (from 25% in 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, to 27% in 2022/2023) said they spent free time outside in green and natural spaces less often than once a week, and around 5% (4% in 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 and 5% in 2021/2022) spent no free time outside in green and natural spaces.
Assessment of change
No assessment of change was undertaken for this indicator as a suitable time series is not yet available in the Outcome Indicator Framework.
Figure G4c: Frequency of time spent outside in the last week by children in England, survey years 2021 to 2023
Table G4c: Frequency of time spent outside in the last week by children in England, survey years 2021 to 2023
| Year | Location | Don't know and prefer not to say | Every day | Most days | Never | Once or twice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | In school | 1.02 | 59.64 | 28.18 | 1.57 | 9.59 |
| 2021 | Outside of school | 0.04 | 13.68 | 38.76 | 6.11 | 41.40 |
| 2022 | In school | 1.18 | 56.07 | 28.52 | 1.91 | 12.33 |
| 2022 | Outside of school | 0.05 | 12.46 | 37.69 | 6.41 | 43.40 |
| 2023 | In school | 0.85 | 56.76 | 30.35 | 1.47 | 10.57 |
| 2023 | Outside of school | 1.26 | 11.73 | 34.69 | 4.85 | 47.47 |
Trend description for G4c
C-PANS results cannot yet show yearly trends. However, data show that when thinking about the last week, more than half of children (60% in 2021, 56% in 2022 and 57% in 2023) said they spent time outside every day when at school, almost a third more (28% in 2021, 29% in 2022 and 30% in 2023) had spent time outside most days, around 10% (10% in 2021, 12% in 2022 and 11% in 2023) had spent time outside once or twice, and a small percentage (between 1% and 2% across all 3 survey years) had not spent time outside at all. Children reported spending time outside less frequently when not at school in all 3 years. Less than 15% of children (14% in 2021 and 12% in 2022 and 2023) said they had spent time outside every day when not at school, a little less than 40% (39% in 2021, 38% in 2022 and 35% in 2023) had spent time outside most days, a little more than 40% (41% in 2021, 43% in 2022 and 47% in 2023) had spent time outside once or twice, and around 5% (in all 3 years) had not spent time outside at all.
Assessment of change
No assessment of change was undertaken for this indicator as a suitable time series is not yet available in the Outcome Indicator Framework.