Time as a poverty index: Study of time poverty among urban population of Iran

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Demography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD Candidate, Department of Demography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jeds.2025.62809.1820

Abstract

Despite its intrinsic importance and its consequences for the health and productivity of people and the socio-economic development of society, time poverty has received little attention in domestic studies and there is no knowledge in this field at the national level. In this study, using the data of three periods of time spent in urban areas of Iran (years 1387-1387, 1393-94, and 1398-99), the Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke (FGT) poverty index was calculated based on the amount of time devoted to occupational (paid) and domestic (non-paid) activities to answer these questions: What is the prevalence of time poverty? To what extent has the prevalence of this phenomenon changed over time? To what extent are gender and age differences observed in this phenomenon? The article's findings indicated that time poverty in the urban areas of Iran is a predominantly male phenomenon, which is not consistent with the situation of other societies based on previous studies. Also, the highest prevalence and time poverty gap was observed in the middle-aged (40-59 years old), which is consistent with the results of past research. The insignificant values of the time poverty gap square index indicated a very low prevalence of severe time poverty in the country's urban areas. The higher prevalence of extreme time poverty among men shows that, in general, work activities have a greater impact on the experience of time poverty than household activities. Future studies can contribute to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of poverty and evidence-based policies to eradicate it by examining the relationship between economic poverty and time poverty, explaining time poverty using the intersection approach and paying attention to the multidimensionality of its determinants, and comparing the patterns and determinants of this phenomenon in urban and rural areas.

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References

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