The line graphs illustrate the percentage of households owning three types of electronic appliances and the weekly number of hours spent on household chores from 1920 to 2019.
Overall, there was a notable rise in the ownership of refrigerators and vacuum cleaners, with both reaching nearly universal usage by 2019. In contrast, the adoption of washing machines showed a more gradual increase. At the same time, the hours devoted to household tasks steadily declined over the given period.
Looking in more detail, in 1920, refrigerator ownership was almost non-existent, starting at around 0%. In comparison, vacuum cleaners were present in approximately 40% of households, and washing machines in 30%. By 1960, refrigerator ownership had surged to 90%, while vacuum cleaner and washing machine ownership rates reached 70% and 65%, respectively. By 2019, refrigerators and vacuum cleaners were found in nearly 100% of homes, whereas washing machine ownership was slightly lower, at around 75%.
As for the time spent on housework, a clear downward trend can be observed. In 1920, households spent approximately 50 hours per week on chores. By 1960, this figure had dropped by 20%, to about 40 hours per week. The decline continued steadily throughout the following decades, reaching 10 hours per week by 2019. This reduction in time spent on housework is directly correlated with the increased use of household appliances.