Women Still Handle Main Household Tasks in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although women comprise nearly half of the U.S. workforce, they still fulfill a larger share of household responsibilities. Married or partnered heterosexual couples in the U.S. continue to divide household chores along largely traditional lines, with the woman in the relationship shouldering primary responsibility for doing the laundry (58%), cleaning the house (51%) and preparing meals (51%). At the same time, men continue to take the lead in keeping the car in good condition (69%) and doing yardwork (59%).

In addition to laundry, cleaning and cooking, women are the primary decision-makers when it comes to home decor in 62% of households. Although there is more equity in some of the other tasks, women are also much more likely than their husbands to care for children on a daily basis, shop for groceries and wash dishes.

There is only one task that men and women are equally likely to take the lead on -- paying bills. In 37% of U.S. households, the woman primarily pays the bills, while in 34% of households, the man does.

Planning family activities is the only task that is reported as being shared equally by a majority, 52%. In households that don't share the job, women are more likely to be responsible (37%) than are men (10%).

Half say that decisions about savings or investments are shared equally, but in most other households (31%), it's the man making these decisions.

These latest readings, based on combined data from three polls conducted in mid-2019, mark the third time that Gallup has asked married and cohabitating couples to report who is most likely to perform various tasks in their household. The previous readings were in 1996 and 2007. Analysis of the 2019 data is limited to heterosexual couples (97% of the sample) to facilitate comparison with past data collected before same-sex marriage was legal.

Distribution of Household Tasks Has Become More Equitable Since 1996

Although women remain more likely than men to perform most of the duties at home, this has declined in some cases over the past two decades. Since 1996, women have become less likely to be the primary partner handling grocery shopping (down 14 percentage points), laundry (down 12 points), cooking (down 12 points), dishwashing (down 11 points) and cleaning (down nine points). These shifts are accompanied by some combination of increases in the percentage of men primarily performing the tasks or sharing the work equally with their partners.

Women also have become less likely to be the main spouse to pay bills as more have said this job is now shared equally between partners.

Over the same period, men have become more likely to take over the decision-making about savings or investments (up five points), and they have steadily remained most likely to keep both the car and yard in good condition.

Husbands and Wives See Things Differently

The above findings are based on the views of all married or cohabitating heterosexual couples. However, perceptions about who does what differ sharply by gender. Specifically, for eight of the 12 tasks -- caring for children, cleaning the house, preparing meals, washing dishes, grocery shopping, paying bills, planning family activities and making decisions about savings or investments -- men and women are each more likely to say that they personally perform an equal or larger share of the work than their partner does.

	Reported by woman	Reported by man
	%	%
Care for children on daily basis
Woman more likely to do	59	42
Man more likely to do	4	10
Both equally	36	47
Clean the house
Woman more likely to do	59	43
Man more likely to do	7	11
Both equally	31	43
Prepare meals
Woman more likely to do	57	46
Man more likely to do	13	20
Both equally	30	33
Wash dishes
Woman more likely to do	50	34
Man more likely to do	14	23
Both equally	33	40
Grocery shopping
Woman more likely to do	50	40
Man more likely to do	14	22
Both equally	36	38
Pay bills
Woman more likely to do	45	30
Man more likely to do	25	42
Both equally	30	27
Planning family activities
Woman more likely to do	41	33
Man more likely to do	6	13
Both equally	51	52
Make decisions about savings or investments
Woman more likely to do	26	10
Man more likely to do	20	42
Both equally	53	48
GALLUP, 2019

Parents' Household Tasks Tied to Employment and Earnings

Although mothers are more likely than fathers to say they perform most of the housekeeping chores, the division of labor among parents with at least one child under the age of 18 at home varies largely on each parent's employment situation and earnings.

For example, among parents in single- and dual-income households:

• In households where both parents work, men shoulder slightly more of the burden of chores than do men in single-income households.
• Although women in both types of households are still more likely to be responsible for laundry, meal preparation, dishwashing and cleaning, men in dual-income homes pitch in slightly more on these chores than do men in single-income homes.
• When it comes to caring for children, a plurality of adults in dual-income homes report sharing the responsibilities of childcare. This compares to a majority of mothers in single-income homes who care for children.

	Single-income household	Dual-income household
	%	%
Do the laundry
Woman more likely to do	66	57
Man more likely to do	8	12
Both equally	26	30
Prepare meals
Woman more likely to do	61	47
Man more likely to do	10	18
Both equally	28	34
Care for children on daily basis
Woman more likely to do	61	44
Man more likely to do	7	7
Both equally	31	47
Clean the house
Woman more likely to do	59	52
Man more likely to do	7	9
Both equally	34	37
Wash dishes
Woman more likely to do	49	40
Man more likely to do	15	21
Both equally	33	35
GALLUP, 2019

And when looking at parents' individual earnings in dual-income households:

• In households where the father earns more than his wife, the wife is more likely to take the lead on the core housekeeping tasks of laundry, cooking, cleaning, dishwashing, grocery shopping, decorating and childcare. When the mother's income is higher than her husband's, he takes on a greater role in all of these tasks.
• When both parents earn roughly the same income, men are more likely to help with taking care of children, washing dishes and cleaning.
• In households where one parent earns more than the other, that person is more likely to be responsible for paying the bills, but long-term financial decisions about savings or investments are most likely to be shared regardless of who the chief earner is.

	Man earns more	Woman earns more	Both earn the same
	%	%	%
Do the laundry
Woman likely to do	62	39	58
Man more likely to do	8	25	11
Both equally	28	35	31
Clean the house
Woman more likely to do	56	45	46
Man more likely to do	7	12	12
Both equally	35	39	40
Grocery shopping
Woman more likely to do	51	53	44
Man more likely to do	12	16	14
Both equally	37	32	40
Prepare meals
Woman more likely to do	49	35	50
Man more likely to do	15	29	18
Both equally	34	36	32
Care for children on daily basis
Woman more likely to do	48	36	41
Man more likely to do	5	10	9
Both equally	44	54	50
Wash dishes
Woman more likely to do	47	24	38
Man more likely to do	16	33	24
Both equally	33	40	36
Pay bills
Woman more likely to do	27	47	29
Man more likely to do	41	18	27
Both equally	31	35	44
Make decisions about savings or investments
Woman more likely to do	11	28	21
Man more likely to do	37	23	32
Both equally	52	49	46
GALLUP, 2019

Direct Link Between College Degree and Household Roles

Women with a college degree are slightly less likely than women without one to be solely responsible for several domestic tasks, including laundry, cleaning, washing dishes and caring for children. This may be because women with a college degree are much more likely than those without one to be working full time and thereby sharing the household responsibilities more.

Men with a college degree are more likely than those without one to be solely responsible for the family's finances -- both paying bills and making decisions about savings or investments.

	Woman, college degree	Woman, no college degree	Man, college degree	Man, no college degree
	%	%	%	%
Do the laundry
Woman more likely to do	57	66	49	57
Man more likely to do	13	8	18	14
Both equally	28	25	32	29
Clean the house
Woman more likely to do	55	61	44	43
Man more likely to do	9	5	13	10
Both equally	33	30	39	45
Care for children on daily basis
Woman more likely to do	55	63	42	42
Man more likely to do	5	3	13	8
Both equally	40	33	45	48
Pay bills
Woman more likely to do	46	44	31	30
Man more likely to do	24	25	47	39
Both equally	29	31	22	31
Wash dishes
Woman more likely to do	43	55	30	37
Man more likely to do	23	9	31	19
Both equally	32	34	37	42
Make decisions about savings or investments
Woman more likely to do	29	25	9	10
Man more likely to do	24	18	49	38
Both equally	48	56	41	51
GALLUP, 2019

Younger Couples Maintaining Traditional Gender Roles

As was the case in 2007, married couples of different ages are strikingly similar in their reports about the division of jobs in their homes.

The only task for which there is a significant difference by age is paying household bills. A 39% plurality of those aged 18 to 34 say both spouses share this responsibility equally, while those aged 35 to 54 are divided and a 44% plurality of those aged 55 and older report that the wife is responsible for the bills.

	18-34	35-54	55+
	%	%	%
Woman more likely to do	25	35	44
Man more likely to do	36	36	31
Both equally	39	29	24
GALLUP, 2019

Bottom Line

Despite some changes over the past two decades, the division of labor in U.S. households remains largely tilted toward traditional stereotypes: Women are more likely than their husbands to take care of the house and children, and men remain the primary caretakers of the car and the yard.

As working women and mothers continue to struggle for equal treatment at work, they are more likely than men to fulfill many core housekeeping tasks at home. Yet, there are some signs that women's roles, particularly those whose salaries match or exceed their husband's, are more equitable.

A recent Gallup poll found that a record-high percentage of women prefer to be in the workforce than at home, which could portend greater shifts in household responsibilities.