Does It Matter Who You Ask For Time Use Data?

Abstract

Time-use statistics are recall intensive and sensitive to measurement error. This study uses a nationally representative time-use survey from India to investigate how self and proxy reporting impacts the reported time spent on various activities by men and women. Proxy informants tend to report higher time use for both men and women on employment activities (14 to 26 percent) and lower time use on production for self-consumption, unpaid domestic work, and care work (5 to 33 percent) as compared to self-reports. On average, women proxies differ more from self-reports when reporting about both men and women in their households as compared to men proxies. Investigating the mechanisms we find that the self–proxy differences are systematic and not attributable solely to random measurement error. Information asymmetry between the self and proxy respondents plays a key role—spouses and self–proxy respondents with similar characteristics have smaller reporting differences than non-spouses and other respondents. Gendered perception of what activities are classified as work influences the differences in reporting, which highlights asymmetric measurement error. © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / THE WORLD BANK.