Australian women are spending significantly more time than men on housework, child care and other unpaid domestic duties.
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The daily habits of people aged 15 years and older have been laid bare in new research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The survey was conducted from November 2020 through to July 2021, with participants completing a diary of their activities over two days.
The research shines a light on how people balance their time between work, rest and play.
Women spent an average of four hours and 31 minutes each day on unpaid work activities, while men averaged more than an hour less (three hours and 12 minutes).
Less than half of male participants (42 per cent) spent time on housework, compared to 70 per cent of females.
Mothers spent an average of three hours and 34 minutes a day on child care, while fathers spent two hours and 19 minutes.
Men engaged in paid employment spent an hour more than women each day working, job hunting and travelling to and from the office.
On average, people spent five and a half hours a day on "free time" activities.
Three quarters of participants reported watching television for almost three hours a day, while 30 per cent of respondents spent time exercising and playing sport for about 90 minutes each day.
The survey found women aged between 35 and 44 were the most likely to report often or always feeling pressed for time.
Australian Associated Press
