Research reference
Nature at home statistics: 7 research findings.
What research says about time indoors, contact with nature, and views from the places where we spend our days.
Last updated September 17, 2026
These findings are a practical reference for writers, designers, and nature-minded households. They describe studies of real nature contact and window views. A photograph can bring the feeling of the outdoors closer, but it is not a replacement for time outside.
01
90%
of time is spent indoors
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. That makes the visual character of everyday rooms more than an afterthought.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, The Inside Story, 199002
19,806
adults were included in a national study
A 2019 study used data from 19,806 adults in England to examine the relationship between recreational nature contact, self-reported health, and well-being.
White et al., Scientific Reports, 201903
120 min
a week marked the association threshold
In that study, people reporting at least 120 minutes in nature during the previous week were more likely to report good health and high well-being than those reporting no nature contact. This was an observed association, not a promise of cause and effect.
White et al., Scientific Reports, 201904
20-30 min
was the most efficient nature interval studied
In a 2019 repeated-measures study of 36 adults and 110 nature experiences, the measured stress-relief efficiency of a nature visit was greatest between 20 and 30 minutes.
Hunter, Gillespie and Chen, Frontiers in Psychology, 201905
21.3%
additional hourly cortisol decrease in the study model
After accounting for cortisol's normal daily decline, the same study estimated an additional 21.3 percent hourly decrease during a nature experience. The result describes this small study's model, not a universal outcome.
Hunter, Gillespie and Chen, Frontiers in Psychology, 201906
46
surgical patients were matched in a window-view study
A landmark 1984 study compared 23 patients with views of trees with 23 matched patients whose windows faced a brick wall after gallbladder surgery.
Ulrich, Science, 198407
7.96 vs 8.70
average days in hospital after surgery
Patients with a view of trees had a shorter average postoperative stay than the matched brick-wall group. The study concerns hospital-window views, not artwork.
Ulrich, Science, 1984Sources and scope
Made to be useful, not overstated.
Every figure on this page links to its original government guide or published research source. Findings are reported in the context of the study that produced them, because a hospital-window study, a survey of nature contact, and a small stress-marker study answer different questions.
We will refresh this page when a key source changes or when meaningful new research adds something useful. Stable links above are kept in place so individual findings remain easy to reference.
Suggested citation
LifeforceDesign. Nature at Home Statistics: 7 Research Findings. Updated September 17, 2026.
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