Men who do the housework get the gals

From Oxford University press release 4 August 2009:

"if you want to settle down, your chances of getting married or living with someone are probably highest in Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries and the United States.

…men in those countries are more likely than their Australian counterparts to do the household chores and thereby make marriage a more attractive option to their nation’s women.

…marriage and cohabiting rates in developed countries can be linked to attitudes towards the roles of men and women, and views on who is responsible for doing the housework and looking after the children.

Both men and women have shown they are more likely to want a live-in relationship with the opposite sex if they think their partner will do a share of the housework and childcare duties."

Egalitarian index of countries

The economist concerned even developed an ‘egalitarian index’ of 12 developed countries from questionnaires on gender, housework and childcare responsibilities. It's interesting to see cultural differences reflected.

Top 4, in that order: Norway, Sweden, Great Britain, the United States.

Bottom 4: Japan, Germany, Austria, Australia.

Why women don't marry or move in

Also interesting:

"The study also suggests that a more egalitarian woman in any country is less likely than a less egalitarian woman to set up home with a man because, everything else being equal, most men would choose a woman who they can rely on to do housework and look after the children. While egalitarian men seem to be viewed as a better bet by women, egalitarian women are seen as a less safe bet by men…

If developed countries want to look at why the birth rate in their country is falling, we need to focus on the drivers for whether couples decide to live together and start a family. It seems to show what couples ask "Will I be better off?". Women in less egalitarian countries are saying "No"."

Household Division of Labor and Cross-Country Differences in Household Formation Rates, 2009. Dr Almudena Sevilla-Sanz.