'Twilight Parenting': Freedom from housework at 75 for elderly individuals

While men's contribution to household chores has steadily increased over the past 20 years, it remains less than half that of women. With the growing involvement in childcare during the twilight years, Koreans, on average, find themselves relieved from housework by the age of 75.

According to the 'Results of an in-depth analysis of the National Time Transfer Account' released by Statistics Korea on Tuesday, as of 2019, the value of housework performed in Korea was estimated to be 490.9 trillion won. This calculation excludes paid work, such as that of housekeepers, and only considers unpaid work performed at home, constituting 25.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Breaking it down by gender, women contributed 356 trillion won (72.6% of the total), while men contributed 134.9 trillion won (27.5%) to the value of housework. Men's share of household labor production has increased by 7.5 percentage points over the past 20 years, rising from 20.1% in 1999. Nevertheless, women's contribution remains about 2.6 times greater than men's.

Examining housework by age, the contribution of those aged 65 or older was valued at 80.9 trillion won (16.5%). This marks a significant increase from 8.4% in 1999, nearly doubling the proportion of housework among the elderly. The rise is attributed to increased childcare responsibilities during the twilight years, driven by the growing number of dual-income couples resulting from an aging population. Consequently, Koreans tend to transition from producing to consuming housework only after the age of 75. This shift implies that individuals aged 75 and older may receive more domestic labor services from their families, leading to freedom from direct involvement in housework.

On the contrary, the peak age for housework engagement was found to be 38, with individuals contributing an average of 16.91 million won worth of housework. Notably, 38-year-old women topped the list, performing the highest value of housework in their life cycle at 24.51 million won. For men, the peak was observed at 39, with a housework contribution valued at 9 million won. Additionally, infants aged 0, requiring the most care, received an average of 36.38 million won in domestic labor services from their parents.


1am@donga.com