Who Does the Housework at Your Place?

Statistics Canada keeps track of who does housework. Here are some statistics from their reports:*

More women with families are working. In 1990, 71% of couples with children under 19 were two-income families. Twenty years ago, it was 30%.

In 1990, Statistics Canada reported on a survey about housework. In families where both husband and wife work full time, here is what happens:

In 52% of these families, women do all the cooking and cleaning at home.

In 28% of these families, women do most of the chores.
In 10% of these families, women and men share the housework equally.
In 10% of these families, husbands do all or most of the housework.

We can look a little more closely at some chores.
Again, we are talking about families where both husband and wife work full time, and had children under 19 at home:

In 72% of these families, women are mainly responsible for making meals.
In 13% of these families, men are mainly responsible for making meals.
In 12% of these families, men and women share equally in making meals.
In 59% of these families, women are mainly responsible for cleaning up after meals.
In 16% of these families, men are mainly responsible for cleaning up after meals.
In 15% of these families, men and women share equally in cleaning up after meals.
In 74% of these families, women are mainly responsible for the laundry.
In 7% of these families, men are mainly responsible for the laundry.
In 13% of these families, men and women share equally in doing the laundry.

*Statistical information from Canadian Social Trends, Winter 1993.