SEOUL, April 29 (AJP) - South Korean women would effectively be 2.7 times richer than men — if unpaid household work were properly compensated — though the gap has eased from 3.2 times five years ago as single life forces more men to take on domestic responsibility, data showed Wednesday.
The value of home management in South Korea — encompassing childcare, cooking, cleaning and elder care — was estimated at 582.4 trillion won ($420 billion) in 2024, equivalent to 22.8 percent of nominal gross domestic product, according to the 2024 Household Production Satellite Account released by Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The account measures the economic value of unpaid work not captured in GDP.
The estimate marked a 20 percent increase over the past five years, though its share of GDP edged down by 1 percentage point.
The value of unpaid household work per person was estimated at 11.25 million won annually, up 20 percent over the same period.
Housework remains primarily women’s responsibility, with their unpaid labor valued at 16.46 million won per person, compared with 6.05 million won for men — about 2.7 times higher.
The shift, however, has been sharper among men.
Among unmarried men, the value of unpaid household labor surged 68.7 percent over five years, outpacing the 47.2 percent increase among unmarried women. Married men also recorded a faster rise at 28.9 percent.
By category, household management work rose 25.8 percent, while care for pets and plants jumped 60.4 percent. Adult care, including eldercare, increased 20.8 percent as the population aged.
By contrast, the value of childcare fell 1.8 percent, reflecting a decline in the school-age population.
Single-person households recorded the sharpest increase in unpaid household labor value, rising 66.2 percent over five years, followed by two-person households at 40.9 percent and three-person households at 22.2 percent. Households with five or more members saw an 11.3 percent decline.
Three-person households accounted for the largest share at 166 trillion won, followed by four-person households at 147.4 trillion won and two-person households at 136.7 trillion won.
By employment status, unpaid household work was valued at 297.4 trillion won for those outside the workforce, slightly exceeding the 284.9 trillion won for those with jobs.
Regionally, Sejong posted the steepest increase at 42.3 percent, driven by growth in the child population and rising caregiving time.
First introduced in 2018, the household production satellite account is compiled every five years to estimate the value of unpaid work excluded from GDP.
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