Australians are very satisfied with their lives, according to new research, but they are also feeling rushed, volunteering less and not playing as much sport.
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Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Monday shows that when asked to rate their overall life satisfaction between 0 and 10, Australians over 15 gave it an average of 7.6.
This is higher than Australia's 7.3 rating in a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development survey and the OECD average of 6.6.
On average, according to the Bureau of Statistics, Australian women were slightly more satisfied than men (7.7 versus 7.6), while those 75 years and older were more satisfied than those between 15 and 24 years old (8.1 versus 7.7).
There were also other variations between population groups. Gay and lesbian Australians rated their overall life satisfaction as 7.5, ahead of bisexual people at 6.6.
Recent migrants had a 7.7 rating, while single parents had a rating of 7.
The Bureau of Statistics' fourth General Social Survey also shows that while the proportion of people caring for someone with a disability, illness or old age remained steady at 19 per cent, the level of volunteering is dropping in Australia.
Volunteering rates increased between 1995 and 2010 - reaching a peak of 36 per cent - but in 2014, the proportion of those over 18 who volunteered dropped to 31 per cent.
Participation in sport and recreational activities also dropped from 74 per cent to 70 per cent between 2010 and 2014, as did involvement in civic and political groups (from 19 per cent to 14 per cent).
One possible explanation for the drop in sport and volunteering is that people are feeling rushed.
In 2014, three quarters of those surveyed felt rushed or pressed for time either "always/often" or "sometimes".
Women felt more pressed for time than men - with 45.2 per cent of women saying they "always/often" felt rushed, versus 35.5 per cent of men.
Australians are also spending less time in person with their loved ones.
While 92 per cent of those surveyed were keeping in weekly contact with family and friends through texts and phone calls, from 2010 to 2014, face-to-face time had dropped from 79 per cent to 76 per cent.
