When it comes to household chores, Australian men are living in a parallel universe — and women are paying the price, literally.
A bombshell new report by Finder has laid bare the financial fallout of unpaid domestic labour, revealing that one in three partnered women are still doing the lion’s share of chores at home — with serious consequences for their careers, stress levels, and long-term wealth.
Titled The State of Women’s Wealth Report 2025, the study paints a sobering picture of gender inequality behind closed doors. While 46% of men believe the workload is shared equally, just 25% of women agree.
“This imbalance isn’t just about chores – it’s about carrying the mental load for your household, and the impact that has on your wealth and opportunities,” said report author and personal finance expert Sarah Megginson.
“When women are tied up with unpaid labor at home, it directly impacts their earning potential and long-term financial security.”
The numbers are damning: 34% of women say they do almost all of the housework, compared to just 10% of men. And 63% of women report being responsible for at least 75% of household tasks. Even more alarming, 12% of women say this unequal burden has stalled their careers — double the number of men who feel the same.
It’s a crisis hiding in plain sight, where the cost isn’t just exhaustion — it’s economic disempowerment. From missed promotions to reduced working hours, the domestic divide is taking a toll that can’t be measured in dirty dishes alone.
Then there’s the emotional cost. While nearly a third of women (34%) say the imbalance has harmed their mental health and stress levels, only 19% of men report feeling the same.
“Many men believe household duties are split evenly, but women overwhelmingly disagree – and this is often because a lot of the work women do is ‘invisible’,” Megginson said.
The so-called ‘invisible labour’ — the mental load of planning meals, scheduling appointments, and keeping the household running — is rarely acknowledged, let alone shared. Yet it’s quietly sabotaging women’s financial futures.
Megginson urges couples to have “calm, blame-free” conversations about expectations around housework, and to push for practical change.
“If nothing changes, nothing changes, so it may be appropriate to chat about a more equitable distribution of work,” she said.
“These conversations can be fraught with tension, especially if the topic has been raised in the past. One way to work towards a successful outcome is by clearly explaining what you want to change and why, and then outline what will happen next if the situation doesn’t change.”
As the gender wealth gap persists and cost-of-living pressures rise, this report is a stark reminder that equity must begin at home. Until it does, women will continue to pay — in time, energy, income, and opportunity.
Read the full report here: https://www.finder.com.au/insights/state-of-womens-wealth-report-2025
