Unpaid Domestic and Care Work Valued at 19.9% of Colombia's 2024 GDP

Unpaid domestic and care work represented a significant 19.9% of Colombia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024, a contribution exceeding that of several productive sectors. The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) released figures highlighting the substantial economic value of these essential, yet uncompensated, activities. Women were the primary contributors, performing work equivalent to 14.8% of the GDP, while men's contribution stood at 5.1%. The total estimated economic value of this labor reached 340.5 trillion Colombian pesos, approximately $104 billion USD. DANE reported that 44.326 billion hours were dedicated to unpaid domestic and care work in 2024. Women accounted for 75.9% of these hours, underscoring the persistent gender inequality in household responsibilities. The report indicated that preparing food consumed the largest portion of time, accounting for 36.3% of the total hours. This was followed by cleaning, maintenance, and home repairs (25.9%), care and support for family members (14.4%), clothing maintenance (11.7%), household shopping and administration (10.5%), and volunteer activities (1.2%). "The results of the Time National Accounts demonstrate that the production of unpaid domestic and care work is greater in women throughout their entire life cycle," DANE stated in a release. On average, women dedicated 23.5 hours per week to these activities, compared to 8.6 hours for men, with the most significant gap observed between the ages of 27 and 59. In monetary terms, the maximum annual production per person was 12.7 million Colombian pesos (about $3,600 USD) for women and 5.2 million pesos (about $1,500 USD) for men. The study also noted that unpaid care is concentrated on young children, with demand decreasing during childhood and adolescence before increasing again in old age. Women of productive age (15-59 years) primarily provided this care, dedicating an average of 5.2 hours weekly, compared to 1.5 hours from men.

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The results of the Time National Accounts demonstrate that the production of unpaid domestic and care work is greater in women throughout their entire life cycle.