Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex (SDG indicator 5.4.1)
Proportion of daily time spent by the population aged 15 and older on unpaid domestic and care work. Domestic and care work includes, among other activities, meal preparation, cleaning and maintaining the home, laundry care, pet care, shopping and running household errands, as well as caring for children, older adults, people with disabilities who require assistance, or individuals in situations of dependency. It is calculated by sex, and the result is expressed as a percentage. The indicator is based on data from time-use surveys and modules from countries compiled in the Latin America and the Caribbean Time-Use Information Repository, covering data from 1998 to the most recent year available. The data may not be fully comparable across countries due to methodological differences in data collection instruments.
Analysis
The unequal distribution of unpaid domestic and care work directly impacts women's autonomy and limits their opportunities for labor market participation. On average, in the region, there is a disproportionate burden of these activities on women, who spend between twice and three times as much time on unpaid domestic and care work compared to men. This indicator is part of the set of prioritized indicators for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Gender Equality Observatory
