Gender disparity in economic participation remains a pervasive issue across Europe, manifesting significantly in employment rates, labor force involvement, and compensation. A primary contributor to this persistent gap is the disproportionate burden of unpaid work shouldered by women. Analysis of data from OECD countries reveals that women dedicate nearly double the amount of time to unpaid domestic and care responsibilities compared to men each day.
This disparity translates to tangible differences in daily time allocation. Across 23 European nations, women spend an average of 262 minutes per day on unpaid work, while men dedicate approximately 141 minutes. This results in a substantial daily deficit of 121 minutes, equivalent to over two hours, where women are engaged in essential but uncompensated labor. The intensity of this gap, however, varies considerably from one country to another.
Regional Variations in Unpaid Work
The spectrum of this gendered division of unpaid labor is vast. Sweden exhibits the narrowest gap, with women dedicating 220 minutes daily compared to men’s 171 minutes, a difference of 49 minutes. This also represents the lowest total daily unpaid work time for women among the surveyed nations. Nordic countries generally demonstrate strong performance in mitigating this imbalance, with Denmark (31% gap), Norway (35% gap), and Finland (50% gap) also showing the smallest disparities.
Conversely, Turkey presents an extreme outlier, where women undertake 349% more unpaid work than men, spending 305 minutes daily. Following Turkey, significant gaps are observed in Southern European nations such as Portugal (242% gap), Greece (173% gap), and Italy (134% gap). Spain also ranks notably high with a 98% gap, indicating that women there perform nearly twice the amount of unpaid work as men.
Impact on Labor Force Participation
The OECD’s “Gender Equality in a Changing World” report underscores the detrimental effect of unpaid work on women’s engagement in paid employment. It explicitly states that unpaid duties can act as a formidable barrier, preventing some women from entering or remaining in the formal labor market. This correlation is evident when examining labor participation rates. Turkey, for instance, reported the lowest labor participation rate in 2024 at 37%, significantly below the EU average of 53%. Italy (42%) and Greece (45%) also show lower participation rates and coincide with the largest gender gaps in unpaid work.
Underlying Drivers of the Gap
Contributing factors to these disparities include care responsibilities and ingrained social norms. In countries like Turkey and Italy, limited access to affordable childcare and eldercare services, coupled with societal expectations regarding women’s domestic roles, constrain women’s capacity to seek and maintain employment. These elements collectively contribute to the lower female labor force participation rates observed in these economies. Among Europe’s five largest economies, Italy and Spain exhibit the most significant gaps in unpaid work. Germany, with a 61% gap, France with 66%, and the UK with 78%, demonstrate comparatively smaller, though still substantial, disparities.
Composition of Unpaid Work
Routine housework constitutes the predominant component of unpaid labor for both women and men across virtually all countries, frequently accounting for over 70% of daily unpaid time. Care for household members and shopping are the next most significant categories, collectively representing approximately 90% of all unpaid activities. In Portugal, for example, women dedicate 253 of their 328 daily unpaid minutes to housework, a share of 77%. This proportion slightly decreases in France to 70% and in Denmark to 60%.
Strategies for Bridging the Divide
The OECD emphasizes the role of learned “norms and stereotypes” in perpetuating these inequalities, suggesting that interventions should address these ingrained societal attitudes from an early age. To effectively narrow the gender gap in unpaid work, the report advocates for stronger policy actions from national governments and the European Commission. Key recommendations focus on addressing the foundational drivers of this imbalance, such as improving access to affordable care services and challenging traditional gender roles within the household.
Emily Carter has over eight years of experience covering global business trends. She specializes in technology startups, market innovations, and corporate strategy, turning complex developments into clear, actionable stories for our readers.