Time Use Survey: Delhi residents spend 563 minutes daily on work related activities, Nagaland lags at 329 minutes

Goa follows closely, with its residents clocking 536 minutes on work-related tasks, a rise from the 367 minutes recorded in the 2019 survey.

The Time Use Survey tracks how people allocate their time across various activities such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socialising. The primary aim of the survey is to assess men’s and women’s participation in both paid and unpaid activities, providing insights into time spent on unpaid caregiving, volunteer work, and domestic services. It also sheds light on time spent on learning, socialising, leisure activities, and self-care.

The findings of this survey are crucial for shaping policies on poverty, gender equity, and human development.

Over the past three decades, many developed countries have increasingly conducted time-use surveys. For instance, the US has been conducting annual surveys since 2003, while Australia began its full-scale national survey in 1992, and Canada has been conducting them since 1961. Countries like Germany, Austria, and Israel have also embraced similar surveys.

India’s first national Time Use Survey, the NSS Report – Time Use in India, was released in 2019. The second round of the survey, findings of which were released this year, was conducted between January and December 2024, covering 1.39 lakh households and 4.54 lakh individuals over the age of six.

The latest survey reveals that Indians engaged in employment and related activities spend an average of 440 minutes per day on such tasks. Men spend an average of 473 minutes in work-related activities while women spend 341 minutes.

Although the gender gap in employment-related activities is not particularly large, it becomes more pronounced when it comes to unpaid domestic services. In this area, women dedicate an average of 289 minutes daily to tasks such as meal preparation, cleaning, household maintenance, pet care, and family shopping, while men spend only 88 minutes on these activities.

When looking at states where women spend the most time on employment and related activities, Goa leads with 509 minutes, followed by Delhi at 407 minutes and Meghalaya at 397 minutes. In contrast, states such as Bihar (256 minutes), Nagaland (257 minutes), and Uttar Pradesh (271 minutes) reported the lowest levels of female participation in employment-related tasks.

Incidentally, certain states have shown a rise in male involvement in unpaid domestic services. Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, and Gujarat lead the way with 103, 100, and 99 minutes, respectively, suggesting a shift towards more shared responsibilities in household chores.

The survey also reveals that the average time spent in India on learning activities has declined to 414 minutes in 2024 from 424 minutes in 2019. The states with the highest time spent on learning activities are Andhra Pradesh, where people spend an average of 465 minutes per day, up from 451 minutes in 2019. Tamil Nadu residents spend 462 minutes, slightly down from 469 minutes in the previous survey, but still among the highest in the nation. Delhi stands out with a significant increase in learning time, jumping from 403 minutes in 2019 to 456 minutes per day in 2024.

Nagaland reported the lowest average, with 368 minutes spent on learning activities, down from 419 minutes in 2019, suggesting a need for greater emphasis on education in the state.

The 2024 survey also shows how social interactions and community participation are evolving across India. On a national scale, the average time spent on “socializing and communication, community participation, and religious practice” has remained fairly stable, with the national average now at 138 minutes, although down slightly from 143 minutes in 2019. However, the variations between states reveal diverse patterns of social engagement. Nagaland has seen a marked rise in social activities, with residents now spending 163 minutes per day on socialising and community-related engagements, up from 137 minutes in 2019.

Kerala, known for its strong cultural and social fabric, has seen a decline in the time spent on these activities, with residents now dedicating 160 minutes, down from 173 minutes in 2019. Arunachal Pradesh has seen a steep decline, with residents now spending only 90 minutes on social- and community-related activities, down from 125 minutes in 2019.

At the national level, the average time spent on “culture, leisure, mass media, and sports activities”, which encompasses attending cultural, entertainment, and sports events, as well as hobbies, games, and sports participation and watching mass media, has increased from 165 minutes to 171 minutes.

Uttarakhand stands out with a notable rise in leisure time, with its residents dedicating 196 minutes per day to activities such as sports, media consumption, and cultural engagements, an increase from 169 minutes in 2019. Similarly, Kerala and Tamil Nadu also reported increased engagement in leisure activities, spending 194 minutes each. In the 2019 survey, while Kerala reported 199 minutes, it was 171 minutes in Tamil Nadu.

The time dedicated to “self-care,” which includes activities such as sleep, eating, drinking, and personal hygiene, has seen a slight decline. The national average stands at 708 minutes per day, down from 726 minutes in 2019.

However, there are some states where an increasing number of people are dedicating more time to self-care. Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir lead the pack, with their residents dedicating 740 minutes per day to self-care in 2024, a significant increase from 721 and 711 minutes, respectively, in 2019. Goa and Mizoram follow with 732 minutes, up from 723 and 710 minutes, respectively, in the previous survey.

Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh showed the lowest average for self-care, 683 minutes, down from 696 minutes in 2019.

Average time spent on employment-related activities:

Minutes spent on learning each day:

Minutes spent socializing and communication, community participation and religious practice