American fathers are taking on a far bigger share of life at home than previous generations did.
Dads in the United States have sharply increased the amount of time they spend on household chores and caring for their children, with a new study showing a 200% rise in domestic work over the decades.
According to data from the Institute of Family Studies, married fathers with young children spent about 30 hours a week on housework and childcare in 2024.
That marks a dramatic change from 1965, when married men with children spent roughly 10 hours per week on the home and kids, while mothers were putting in more than 50 hours a week on domestic responsibilities.
The institute examined data over several decades, tracking how much time married men and women with children under the age of five devoted to household tasks and childcare.
For men, the data stretches back to 1965, while the institute’s figures on women’s housework go as far back as 1930.
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The findings show that fathers are taking on more of the day-to-day work of family life, though mothers continue to shoulder the larger share of household duties.
During the Great Depression era, mothers averaged about 55 hours a week on domestic labor. By 2024, that figure had fallen to just over 40 hours per week, according to the study.
And couples are putting in more hours too.
In 1965, the average married couple with small children would have spent around 50 hours per week taking care of them and the house.
Parents now spend about 70 hours per week on the same tasks, but the burden is more evenly distributed, the researchers found.
