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⏱️ Time Use
Do I do too much housework?
Compare your weekly cleaning and chores to averages.
hours/week
Cleaning, laundry, dishes, organizing, yard work
How much time do people spend on housework?
Women in the US spend an average of 2.6 hours/day on household activities, while men average 2.0 hours/day (ATUS 2023). The gender gap has narrowed from 3:1 in the 1960s to about 1.3:1 today, but women still do significantly more.
Average weekly housework by gender (OECD 2023)
- Women (US): 18 hours/week
- Men (US): 14 hours/week
- Women (global avg): 22 hours/week
- Men (global avg): 10 hours/week
What counts as housework?
- Cleaning, vacuuming, mopping
- Laundry and ironing
- Dishes and kitchen cleanup
- Yard work and home maintenance
- Organizing and decluttering
- Grocery shopping (sometimes counted separately)