Statistical Center: Iranians Work for Two Hours and 46 Minutes

The Statistical Center of Iran has published a report on the hours that citizens dedicate to work, rest, voluntary activities, or housework, revealing that Iranians work an average of two hours and 46 minutes per day and spend between 12 to 14 hours on personal care. The statistics published in Iranian media refer to a project that was implemented last winter aimed at examining the time use patterns among citizens aged 15 and older. According to the published statistics, the least daily activity is related to voluntary or charitable work, which averages just 3 minutes per day. The data indicate that personal care activities have seen the most growth over the past seven years, while the time Iranians spend on education and learning has decreased the most. According to the Statistical Center, citizens spend the most time after personal care on household activities, averaging 3 hours and 29 minutes. The use of mass media ranks next after work activities, taking up two hours and 9 minutes (129 minutes) of time. Statistics from 'StatisticPortal' show that Americans lead the world in mass media usage with 293 minutes (about 5 hours per day). In Germany or France, the average is about 220 minutes, while in China and Sweden, it reaches an average of 160 minutes per day. All Iranian men and women over 15 years old work an average of 166 minutes per day, with men working more than women. Iranian men work nearly five hours a day. Among employed individuals in Iran, personal care and maintenance take up half a day, while among unemployed individuals, this average is two hours more. It seems that daily sleep is also included in the 'maintenance and personal care' activities. For example, statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor since 2013 show that personal care (from daily sleep to health and beauty matters) takes up slightly more than 10 hours of citizens' time in that country. The statistics indicate that personal care activities have seen the most growth in Iran over the past seven years, while the time Iranians spend on education and learning has decreased the most. Data collected last year by the 'Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development' (OECD) shows that working hours in some countries range from an average of 230 minutes to 360 minutes. For instance, Germans or French (men and women) work about 230 minutes or slightly more per day, while citizens of Mexico, Costa Rica, or South Korea work up to 360 minutes. The average daily work in Iran comes amid reports from the Statistical Center last summer indicating an unprecedented growth in the country's 'inactive' population. According to the statistics prepared at that time, in less than 10 years, 6.5 million people have been added to the 'inactive' category, bringing the population of those neither employed nor unemployed to nearly 40 million. The statistics show that Iranian women still have a lower economic participation rate, attributed to an 'unequal competitive environment.' Despite women's lower participation in the economy, their participation rate in social affairs is higher than that of men.