Gender convergence in time use: The role of changes in living arrangements, 1980-2010

Joan García Román , Centre d'Estudis Demogràfics
Anna Martínez Mendiola, University of the Basque Country

This study examines how changes in living arrangements, shaped by broader demographic transformations in Western societies, have contributed to the gender convergence in time use. Using harmonised data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) and applying Oaxaca decomposition techniques, we assess the extent to which shifts in household composition account for changes in men’s and women’s time allocations between the 1980s and 2010s. Our results provide evidence of gender convergence in paid and unpaid work over time, driven primarily by women's reallocation of time, while a persistent gender gap in leisure remains. The decomposition analyses highlight the central role of shifts in living arrangements in determining evolving time allocations, particularly among women. The decline in co-residence with children, linked to falling fertility rates, substantially explains the reallocation of women's time away from housework and towards other activities. Contrarily, increased time spent in couple relationships, especially at older ages, partially counteracts these effects.

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 45. Family, Housework and Time Use