In India, unpaid work has economic value.

• The authors of the study, Satyananda Sahoo, Kaustav K. Sarkar, and Amit Kumar, highlight the economic significance of unpaid domestic and care work in India.
• They argue that women not in the labour force spend over seven hours daily on such tasks, while employed women dedicate 5.8 hours. Unemployed men spend less than four hours, while employed men contribute only 2.7 hours daily.
• The authors advocate for policy reforms that acknowledge the economic contributions of unpaid household activities, seeking more equitable recognition of women’s labour in the national economy.
• The study uses data from the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), covering individuals aged 15 and above from September 2019 to March 2023.
• The authors use two input-based valuation approaches — Opportunity Cost (GOC) and Replacement Cost (RCM) to estimate the economic value of unpaid household work.
• The authors note that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted these values, with household contributions rising to 27.2% and 42.3% of nominal GDP in 2020–21 for GOC and RCM estimates.
• The authors call for future research to refine methodologies, promote equitable recognition and redistribution of care responsibilities, and enhance women’s labour force participation.