Baseline report

Data

In 2020-21, women did more than 9 hours a week more than men.

• 1 hour 19 minutes per day – approximately 9 hours and 13 minutes per week.

Within demographic groups, the difference in unpaid work and care per week between women and men was highest for:

• People aged 25 to 44 years (14 hours) and lowest for people aged 15 to 24 years (3 hours).
• People living in inner regional Australia (12 hours) and lowest for people living in outer regional and remote Australia (5 hours).
• People born overseas (10 hours) compared to people born in Australia (9 hours).
• People not in the labour force (11 hours) and lowest for people employed full-time (3 hours).
• People with whose highest level of educational attainment is the certificate level (including Certificate I/II and Certificate III/IV) (13 hours) and lowest for people with graduate diploma/graduate certificate (1 hour).
• People in the lowest quintile of household income (15 hours) and lowest for people in the highest quintile of household income (4 hours).
• People in the lowest quintile of personal income (14 hours) and lowest for people in the highest quintile of personal income (3 hours).
• People in the second lowest quintile of relative socio-economic disadvantage (11 hours) and lowest for people in the second highest quintile of relative socio-economic disadvantage (8 hours).
• Parents in couple families with child under the age of 15 years (18 hours) and lowest for dependent children aged 15-24 years (1 hour).
• People with poor self-assessed health status (11 hours) and lowest for people with excellent self-assessed health status (7 hours).

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Data source

How Australians Use Their Time, 2020-21 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released every two years

Data

In 2020-21, female parents did around 8 hours and 45 minutes more unpaid child care per week more than male parents.

• 1 hour and 15 minutes more per day.

Within demographic groups, of people who provided child care, the difference in care per week between women and men was highest for:

• People aged 25 to 34 years (13 hours) and lowest for people aged 65 years and over (0 hours).
• People living in inner regional Australia (13 hours) and lowest for people in major cities (7 hours).
• People born in Australia (8 hours) compared to people born overseas (7 hours).
• People who are unemployed (18 hours) compared to people who are employed full-time (3 hours).
• People whose highest level of educational attainment is the certificate level (10 hours) and lowest for people with diploma/advanced diploma (30 minutes).
• People in the lowest quintile of household income (17 hours) and lowest for people in the highest quintile (3 hours).
• People in the lowest quintile of personal income (13 hours) and lowest for people in the highest quintile (3 hours).
• People in the lowest quintile of relative socio-economic disadvantage (9 hours) and lowest for people in the third quintile (6 hours).
• People with good self-assessed health status (12 hours) and lowest for people with very good self-assessed health status (4 hours).

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Data source

How Australians Use Their Time, 2020-21 financial year | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released every two years

Data

Children using child care in 2022 

Of children aged 0-5 years, 48.2 per cent attended an Australian Government CCS provider. Of these:

• 4.6 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (6.5 per cent of all children aged 0-5 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander).
• 21.7 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 24.1 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 23.3 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 24.9 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 1.0 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.3 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 23.1 per cent from low-income families (compared to 25.7 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)
• 4.5 per cent have a disability (compared to 5.4 per cent of children aged 0-5 years)

Of children aged 6-12 years, 19.8 per cent attended an Australian Government CCS provider. Of these:

• 3.2 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (5.7 per cent of all children aged 6-12 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander).
• 14.3 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 21.1 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 20.0 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 26.5 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 0.6 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.2 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 23.5 per cent from low-income families (compared to 26.6 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)
• 4.7 per cent have a disability (compared to 9.6 per cent of children aged 6-12 years)

Preschool program participation in 2022

In the year before full-time schooling (ages are state-specific) 89.1 per cent of eligible children are enrolled in preschool. Of these:

• 6.7 per cent are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (6.1 per cent of children aged 4-5 years are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander)
• 16.2 per cent are from non-English speaking backgrounds (compared to 23.9 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 26.6 per cent are from regional areas (compared to 25.2 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 2.1 per cent are from remote and very remote areas (compared to 2.3 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 17 per cent from low-income families (compared to 17.5 per cent of children aged 4-5 years)
• 6.3 per cent have a disability (compared to 7.6 per cent of children aged 4-5 years).

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Data source

3 Early childhood education and care - Report on Government Services 2023 | Productivity Commission

Annual release

Data

In 2022, 28.1 per cent of people are not in the labour force mainly for childcare service related reasons.

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Data source

3 Early childhood education and care - Report on Government Services 2023 | Productivity Commission

Annual release

Data

In 2020-21, 70.8 per cent of households using or thinking about using child care experienced substantial difficulties, relating to quality, availability or cost.

• 63.3 per cent of households reported substantial difficulties with availability, and was highest for:
  • single-parent families (68.6 per cent) compared to 65.9 per cent of couple-parent families
  • lowest tercile income families (66.9 per cent), compared to 66.5 per cent of highest tercile income families and 65.7 per cent of middle tercile income families
  • families in urban South Australia outside Adelaide and lowest for families in Adelaide (57.6 per cent)
• 51.8 per cent of households reported substantial difficulties with cost, and was highest for:
  • couple-parent families (55.7 per cent) compared to 51.7 per cent of single-parent families
  • middle tercile income families (56.9 per cent) compared to 55.9 per cent of highest tercile income families and 51.8 per cent of lowest tercile income families
  • families in Sydney and lowest for families in urban Western Australia outside Perth.

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Data source

HILDA_Statistical_Report_2023.pdf

Annual release

Data

In February 2024:

• 43.3 per cent of employed women work part-time
• 20.0 per cent of employed men work part-time

Within demographic groups, in 2023, rates of part-time work were highest for:

• Women aged 65 years and over (67.6 per cent working part-time) and lowest for women aged 25-34 years (32 per cent).
  • Men aged 15-24 years (46.7 per cent) and lowest for men aged 35-44 years (9.1 per cent).
• Not married women (44.2 per cent) compared to married women (including women in de facto relationships) (41.7 per cent) and married men (12.9 per cent).
• Women born in Australia (44.6 per cent), compared to women born in mainly English-speaking countries (39.6 per cent) and women born in countries other than mainly English-speaking countries (38.6 per cent).
• Women whose highest level of educational attainment is year 12 or below (54.2 per cent) and lowest for women with a diploma or above (35.1 per cent).
• By their status in their household, women who are dependent students (93.3 per cent) and lowest for women living alone (29.6 per cent).
  • Men who are dependent students (87.4 per cent) and lowest for men in a couple family with children under 15 years (8.1 per cent).

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Data source

Labour Force, Australia, February 2024 | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Monthly release

Data

In August 2023:

• 33.8 per cent of female employees and 19.9 per cent of male employees had an agreement to work flexible hours
• 34.2 per cent of female employees and 28.9 per cent of male employees usually worked from home in their main job

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Data source

Working arrangements, August 2023 | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released every two years

Data

In 2022-23, 84 per cent of private sector employers with 100 or more employees have a flexible work policy or strategy

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Data source

WGEA Scorecard 2022-23: Australia's Gender Equality Scorecard | WGEA

Annual release

Data

In 2022-23, 7 per cent of private sector employers with 100 or more employees have targets set for men’s engagement in flexible work

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Data source

WGEA Scorecard 2022-23: Australia's Gender Equality Scorecard | WGEA

Annual release

Data

• In 2022-23, 170,000 women (99.4 per cent of total recipients) and 1,000 men (0.6 per cent of total recipients) received Parental Leave Pay.*
• In 2022-23, 88,000 men (99.2 per cent of total recipients) and 700 women (0.8 per cent of total recipients) received Dad and Partner Pay.
• In total, 171,000 women (65.8 per cent of total recipients) and 89,000 men (34.2 per cent of total recipients) accessed Paid Parental Leave.

*Note this data is from 2022-23. From 1 July 2023, the PPL scheme combined into a single 20 week gender-neutral entitlement, with two weeks reserved leave for each parent, and allowing parents to take two weeks leave at the same time (concurrent leave). The PPL entitlement is increasing by two weeks each year from 1 July 2024, providing a total of 26 weeks from 1 July 2026.

1 July 2026, each parent will ultimately receive four weeks of reserved leave, with the remaining leave able to be shared however parents choose. Parents will also be able to take up to four weeks concurrently. 

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Data source

Department of Social Services (unpublished)

Annual

Data

In 2022-23, 63 per cent of private sector employers with 100 or more employees offer some form of paid employer-funded parental leave:

• 21 per cent offer universally available leave
• 42 per cent offer primary carer leave.

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Data source

WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard 2022-23 | WGEA

Annual release

Data

In 2022-23, for private sector employers with 100 or more employees:

• The average length of employer-funded parental leave is 12 weeks for both universally available and primary carer’s leave.
• The average length for secondary carer’s leave is 3 weeks.

In 2022, for Commonwealth public sector employers with 100 or more employees:

• The average length of primary carer’s leave is 15.4 weeks
• The average length of secondary carer’s leave is 4.9 weeks

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Data source

• WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard 2022-23 | WGEA
• Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Equality Snapshot 2022 | WGEA

Annual release

Data

In 2022-23, 21 per cent of private sector employers with 100 or more employees offer universally available leave.

In 2022, 15 per cent of Commonwealth public sector employers with 100 or more employees offered parental leave without a distinction between the primary and secondary carer.

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Data source

• WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard 2022-23 | WGEA
• Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Equality Snapshot 2022 | WGEA

Annual release

Data

In 2022-23, of private sector employers with 100 or more employees:

• 86 per cent of universally available or primary carer paid parental leave was taken by women
• 14 per cent of universally available or primary carer paid parental leave was taken by men. 
• Men accounted for 95 per cent of all secondary carer’s leave taken.
• Women accounted for 5 per cent of cent of all secondary carer’s leave taken.

In 2022, for Commonwealth public sector employers with 100 or more employees:

• 86.5 per cent of primary carer’s leave was taken by women
• 13.5 per cent of primary carer’s leave was taken by men

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Data source

• WGEA Gender Equality Scorecard 2022-23 | WGEA
• Commonwealth Public Sector Gender Equality Snapshot 2022 | WGEA

Annual release

Data

In 2021, the average weighted mean of weekly total cash earnings is:

• $1,208.30 for females
• $1,312.70 for males
• A gap of $104.40 or 8.0 per cent

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Data source

Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (in TableBuilder)

Released every two years

Data

In February 2024, there were 206,000 males (19.6 per cent) in the care and support workforce.

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Data source

Labour Force, Australia, Detailed, February 2024 | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Released quarterly

Data

In 2022, 25.3 per cent of enrolments in Health fields of study and 24.6 per cent of enrolments in Education fields of study were males

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Data source

Selected Higher Education Statistics – 2022 Student data | Department of Education, Australian Government

Annual release

Data

In 2022, 22.6 per cent of Health study enrolments were males. Of people enrolled in VET health study:

• 5.8 per cent of male students and 6.2 per cent of female students have a disability
• 3.5 per cent of male students and 4.4 per cent of female students identify as Indigenous
• 66.7 per cent of male students and 62.9 per cent of female students live in major cities; 1.6 per cent of male students and 1.8 per cent of female students live in remote or very remote areas
• 14.8 per cent of male students and 16.0 per cent of female students are from the most disadvantaged quintile of relative socioeconomic advantage; 18.2 per cent of male students and 16.4 per cent of female students are from the most advantaged quintile
• 14.4 per cent of male students and 13.6 per cent of female students speak a language other than English at home

In 2022, 21.1 per cent of Education study enrolments were males. Of people enrolled in VET education study:

• 5.9 per cent of male students and 6.2 per cent of female students have a disability
• 5.1 per cent of male students and 4.8 per cent of female students identify as Indigenous
• 55.4 per cent of male students and 64.0 per cent of female students live in major cities; 4.4 per cent of male students and 2.4 per cent of female students live in remote or very remote areas
• 13.4 per cent of male students and 18.4 per cent of female students are from the most disadvantaged quintile of relative socioeconomic advantage; 14.2 per cent of male students and 13.1 per cent of female students are from the most advantaged quintile
• 17.6 per cent of male students and 23.1 per cent of female students speak a language other than English at home

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Data source

National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), DataBuilder

Annual release