Malaysian Women Dedicate Over 6 Hours Daily to Unpaid Work, Reflecting Gender Gap

Women in Malaysia spend a significant portion of their daily lives on unpaid domestic and care work, dedicating approximately 25.5% of their time, or about 6 hours and 7 minutes per day, to these tasks. This commitment underscores a persistent gender gap, with men allocating only about 18.1% of their daily time to similar activities.

Overall, Malaysians aged 15 and above spend an average of 5 hours and 12 minutes daily on unpaid work. Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd. Uzir Mahidin emphasized that while this work isn't directly recorded in the formal economy, the statistics offer valuable insights into the time contributions supporting household well-being. He stated these findings are crucial for developing policies related to work-life balance, social development, the care economy, and gender equality to boost national productivity.

The survey also revealed that location has a limited impact on time use. Rural residents spend 21.7% (5 hours 13 minutes) of their day on unpaid work, while urban residents spend 21.5% (5 hours 10 minutes). The highest commitment was observed among individuals aged 45 to 54, who spent 23.8% (5 hours 43 minutes) daily, likely reflecting greater domestic responsibilities during middle age. By ethnicity, the 'Others' group spent the most time at 23.7%, followed by Malays at 22.6% and Chinese at 20.5%.

Compared to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, Malaysia's engagement in unpaid domestic work is higher. Women in OECD countries average about 17% of their daily time on these tasks, while men internationally spend around 9% to 11%. Dr. Mohd. Uzir noted that the burden of unpaid work remains high for both genders in Malaysia, stressing the importance of recognizing the economic value of care work to achieve a more equitable distribution of responsibilities.