Such a chore: Men and women differ widely over who does bulk of work

The Central Statistics Office has published a Snapshot of Results from the ‘Life at Home’ CSO Pulse Survey, which includes insights into the division of household tasks between couples.

When it comes to chore sharing, Irish men and women have wildly contrasting perceptions of who does what in the household, according to a major survey.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) surveyed almost 10,500 Irish people in May and June this year on a range of issues relating to everyday life, with two-thirds of women who live with a male partner feeling they took charge of the household tasks.

Responsibility for household chores is balanced according to 42% of respondents living with a partnerhttps://t.co/BUOXCDDhA9 #CSOIreland #Ireland #Households #Families #Pulse #PulseSurvey pic.twitter.com/LUxv8Lvbwl

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) June 22, 2021

By contrast, just over a third of men perceived that their female partners were responsible for most of the chores.

Same-sex partnerships

People in same-sex partnerships were far more likely to share the duties equally, according to the CSO findings.

Statistician Brian Cahill said: “Each of us has a unique experience of life at home, with different relationships, supports and challenges. The distribution of power and decision-making in private life, which has an influence on the ability of people to access opportunities outside the home, is infrequently measured.” 

This is why the CSO has produced a snapshot of ‘Life at Home’ in Ireland in May and June 2021, which is the first time it has published such findings, he said.

Some 65% of women, living with a partner of the opposite sex, said they are mainly responsible for household chores, compared to 38% of men who said their partner takes most responsibility.

Two-thirds of men living with a female partner said they are responsible for home and garden maintenance, while 54% of women said their male partner is responsible – again showing a discrepancy in perceptions, albeit smaller than the perception of household chore sharing.

Those who live with a partner of the same sex were more likely to report a balanced division of responsibilities for household chores at 51%, the CSO said.

When it comes to household finances, 61% of all respondents reported that responsibility for savings, investments and borrowings is balanced.

Ireland’s affinity for pets was also laid bare, with more than half saying they have one in their home.

More than a quarter have at least one dog, and 12% a cat.

Pet surge

The pet surge caused by Covid-19 lockdowns was borne out by the data, according to the findings, with 20% of those with a pet getting it since the start of the pandemic.

Results from our Pulse Survey, released today, show
the majority of people who live with a pet (87%) said their pet has a positive impact on their mental health and well-being.
Read more here: https://t.co/0XhWRRD2fF@DogsTrust_IE @ISPCA1 @GreyhAwarenCork @ashanimalrescue pic.twitter.com/KpImjmN0N2

— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) June 22, 2021

The impact of having a pet has been a boon to health, Irish people said, with a massive 87% saying their pet has a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

Living arrangements between parents and adult children were also largely positive, according to the pulse.

Almost six in 10 people who live with a parent said they enjoy doing so, while almost nine in 10 parents who have an adult child living with them do so.

In saying that, almost nine in 10 people living with a parent said they would prefer to live apart, and half of parents feel the same.