Count unpaid work as time, and agree on responsibilities before registering a marriage
In China's time-use survey, men doing unpaid work averaged 1 hour 52 minutes a day, versus 3 hours 29 minutes for women. The survey did not separate married and unmarried people, so it does not tell us how much marriage adds. The source uses the gender gap only as an upper reference point. Your own division can be negotiated differently.
What it takes
Free. Spend an hour or two before marriage explicitly dividing housework, care for children and older relatives, and whose career will give way; then follow the agreement. The difficult part is discussing it openly instead of postponing it.
What you may gain
China's 2024 National Time Use Survey defines unpaid work as housework and accompanying or caring for family without pay. Among participants doing it that day, the average was 2 hours 45 minutes: 1 hour 52 minutes for men and 3 hours 29 minutes for women. Participation rates were 67.5% for men and 83.9% for women. Housework averaged 1 hour 17 minutes across residents, or 1 hour 59 minutes among those doing it, 28 minutes less than in 2018. Family companionship and care averaged 30 minutes across residents, or 1 hour 46 minutes among participants. In 2018, housework averaged 45 minutes for men and 2 hours 6 minutes for women; accompanying and caring for children averaged 17 and 53 minutes respectively.
Context & considerations
Both surveys group by sex, urban/rural residence and age, but not marital status. There is no official figure here for extra housework caused by marriage; the source uses the sex gap as an upper reference point. These are national averages. The two of you can agree on a different arrangement.
Research & references
National Bureau of Statistics of China (2024). Bulletins of the Third National Time Use Survey, Nos. 2 and 3. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957216.html, https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202410/t20241031_1957215.html; National Bureau of Statistics of China (2019). Bulletin of the 2018 National Time Use Survey. https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230203_1900224.html