Fathers Spend More Time on Childcare, but Preparing Supplies and Meals Still Falls to Mothers

Survey of 524 Fathers Raising Children in Elementary School or Younger

Although fathers are spending more time participating in childcare, the day-to-day responsibilities of childcare, such as preparing children’s belongings and meals, still fall primarily on mothers.

Visitors browse childcare products at the 2026 KOBE Baby Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 29th of last month. Yonhap News Agency

The Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association said on November 15 that this was the finding of an online survey of 524 fathers raising children in elementary school or younger, conducted from September 18 to October 5.

On weekdays, 56.3% of fathers spent an average of 1 to 3 hours a day participating in childcare, the largest share, followed by 4 to 6 hours (28.1%) and less than 1 hour (13.3%). As the time fathers spent participating in childcare increased from the previous year, 68.3% said they were participating enough.

However, the areas of childcare actually handled were shared by both parents for 50.2% of respondents, by mothers for 34.6%, and by fathers for 12.7%. Mothers took on a larger share of day-to-day childcare, particularly identifying and purchasing children’s supplies (54.4%), identifying and purchasing supplies for education (52.3%), and preparing meals and feeding children (45.2%).

Some 35.9% said they felt burdened using childcare-related leave or adjusting their working hours at work. Although these options were available under workplace policies, 27.5% said they worried about how their colleagues would view them, while 8.4% said they found it difficult to use them because work came first.

The most frequently cited change needed to increase fathers’ participation in childcare was improving workplace conditions (36.2%), followed by improving childcare policies (20.9%) and expanding financial support (14.2%).

Kim Kyungseon, president of the Korea Population, Health and Welfare Association, said, "Although fathers are becoming more involved in childcare, day-to-day responsibilities still fall more heavily on mothers. We will support fathers’ meaningful participation in childcare so that it becomes a natural, shared responsibility for both parents."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.