Unpaid Housework

Overall, 85.4% of seniors spent some time doing housework in the week prior to the 2006 Census.

The number of hours of unpaid housework varied by age, gender, location and marital status:

• Younger seniors, especially those aged 65 to 74, contributed a significant number of hours to housework.
• A higher percentage of rural seniors spent 30 hours or more on housework in a week.
• Female seniors were more likely to spend a greater amount of time doing housework.

Chart 13
Hours of Unpaid Housework Vary Significantly by Age

Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 Census Custom Tabulations