Parents' working-hours gap in Lower Saxony
Parents' working-hours gap in Lower Saxony stood at 27 hours per week in 2025, according to Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) – Digital Gender Equality Atlas. It is one of the indicators in the Gender gaps by federal state table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Gender gaps by federal state table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 26.9 | 27 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.5 | 27.8 | 28.7 | 29 | 28.9 | 29.7 | |
| Lower Saxony | 27 | 28 | 27.8 | 27 | 27.2 | 28.7 | 29.2 | 29.6 | 28.9 | 30 | |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 27.7 | 27.6 | 28.1 | 28.4 | 28.4 | 28.6 | 30.1 | 30.3 | 30.5 | 31.1 |
Understanding parents' working-hours gap in Lower Saxony
The division of weekly gainful employment among parents residing in Lower Saxony forms the exclusive focus of this statistical series. Defined as the difference in average weekly working hours between employed fathers and employed mothers, the indicator focuses on families with dependent children residing together. Household residency within Lower Saxony is the qualifying factor, which contrasts with employer-based surveys that collect payroll information from establishments located within the state. Sibling rows in the table provide corresponding figures for neighboring federal states as well as state-level gender pension gaps and unadjusted wage disparities. The metric excludes childless individuals, adult dependents without minor offspring, and parents who are unemployed or retired.
Compiled on an annual basis, this indicator remains unaffected by calendar variations or seasonal fluctuations in employment sectors. Evaluating the evolution of parental work divisions is best achieved through year-on-year tracking, keeping in mind that methodological changes to household microdata and census benchmark revisions occasionally affect sample grossing factors. Analysts should avoid conflating shifts in weekly hours with changes in financial equality; hours differentials reflect time commitments rather than wage levels, occupational status, or total family income. In addition, because the survey samples residents, individuals living along state borders who commute outward for work are included based on their domestic residence.
Frequently asked questions
- What defines an employed parent for the Lower Saxony calculation?
- Any father or mother who performs paid work for at least a minimum threshold during the reference period is classified as employed.
- Does this indicator change if more mothers in Lower Saxony enter part-time employment?
- If newly employed mothers enter predominantly on reduced weekly schedules, the overall average of maternal hours can change, directly affecting the calculated gap.
- How does this indicator differ from the general gender gap in working hours across all adults?
- This metric specifically isolates fathers and mothers with dependent children, excluding childless workers whose working hours follow different patterns.