Harmonized measures and practical guidance towards increased comparability for time-use survey statistics

This paper brings together key insights from recent international standards and country experiences to support greater harmonization and comparability of time-use survey (TUS) statistics. It draws on the 2024 United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) guidance, the ILO's Own-Use Provision of Services (OPS) module, Eurostat’s Harmonized European Time Use Surveys (HETUS), and lessons learned through UN Women’s Women Count programme.

The guidance highlights emerging good practices, methodological innovations and practical strategies to improve the design, implementation and comparability of TUS, with a strong gender focus. It analyses experiences from 25 countries across two phases of the Women Count programme:

• Phase 1: Bangladesh, Colombia, Georgia, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania (Zanzibar) and Uganda
• Phase 2: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, North Macedonia and South Africa
• Benchmark countries: Cameroon, Chile, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan

Additional examples from countries such as Japan, Zimbabwe, Bulgaria, the United States, Canada, selected European HETUS countries, and pilot cases (including Vietnam and Sierra Leone) are referenced to illustrate methodological approaches, harmonization efforts and global benchmarking practices.

Structured along the Time-Use Survey value chain, this paper provides operational recommendations — from user engagement and survey design to production, quality assurance and dissemination. It demonstrates how high-quality time-use statistics can inform policy on unpaid care, women’s economic empowerment and the care economy.