NSO Time Use Survey 2024

• 27 Feb 2025

Source: PIB 

Why in News?  

The National Statistics Office (NSO), under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), has released Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024, the second such nationwide survey after the first conducted in 2019.  

• The survey highlights rising women's employment, greater male caregiving, and increased leisure time, signaling evolving gender roles in India.

Note: The TUS tracks time allocation across paid and unpaid activities, providing detailed insights into various aspects of daily life, unlike traditional surveys that focus on specific aspects of work.  

• Conducted in India, Australia, Japan, Korea, the US, and China, it analyzes gender participation in work, caregiving, learning, and leisure. 

What are the Key Findings of TUS 2024? 

• Employment Participation: 75% of males and 25% of females (aged 15-59 years) participated in employment-related activities in 2024, compared to 70.9% males and 21.8% females in 2019. 
  • A reduction in time spent by women in unpaid domestic work (from 315 minutes/day in 2019 to 305 minutes/day in 2024) indicates a shift from unpaid to paid activities. 
  • Urban women showed a higher rise in employment participation compared to rural women, possibly due to better job opportunities, education, and support systems. 
• Caregiving:  41% of women participated in caregiving compared to 21.4% of men in the 15-59 age group. 
  • Women spent 140 minutes/day on caregiving, compared to 74 minutes/day by male, while caregiving remains female-dominated, male participation has increased. 
    • Greater paternal involvement in child-rearing and elder care is emerging, influenced by changing gender roles and urbanization. 
• Cultural, Leisure and Education Activities: People aged 6 years and above spent 11% of their daily time on cultural, leisure, mass media, and sports in 2024, compared to 9.9% in 2019. 
  • 89.3% of children (6-14 years) participated in learning activities, dedicating an average of 413 minutes/day to education. 
• Household Production: About 16.8% of the population participated in producing goods for their own final use. 

National Statistics Office (NSO) 

• About: The NSO serves as the nodal agency for statistical development in India, ensuring standardization, coordination, and dissemination of data. 
  • NSO consists of the Central Statistical Office (CSO), the Data Informatics & Innovation Division (DIID) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). 
• Functions: NSO compiles and releases the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), conducts the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), and provides statistical insights on industrial growth and economic trends. 

Drishti Mains Question: 

How does the Time Use Survey (TUS) 2024 reflect changing gender roles in India?