Visiting Adam and Eve

December 24th is Christmas Eve, but it’s also the feast day of Adam and Eve (in the Czech Republic).

So, there’s no better occasion to take a look at Czech people aged 45–64 through the lens of differences between men and women. Christmas is also a season full of stereotypes and traditions, most of which we follow without knowing much about their origins or meanings, but we still cherish and even exploit them in marketing. We won’t shy away from them either. If you don’t like the previous two sentences, fine. Here’s a simple question: do you know offhand why we decorate Christmas trees? Or what the Advent wreath symbolizes, what Advent even is, why carp is the traditional Czech Christmas meal, or why we exchange gifts on Christmas Eve instead of for example on December 25th or later, as it is common in other parts of Europe? If you do, you have every right to feel a bit offended, and the author sincerely apologizes (although otherwise it really is not part of his job description, as any GroupM employee would gladly confirm).

But let’s not stray too far from the main topic for the sake of a Christmas quiz. Christmas ideally brings families together, so let’s start with the makeup and roles within the households of our mature Czechs.

Who is the boss at home?

87% of men aged 45–64 consider themselves the heads of their households, compared to only 60% of women in the same age group. However, if you ask who handles more than half of the routine household shopping, you’ll get the opposite result. 84% of women see themselves as the chief house manager (we would like to avoid the term housewife), compared to only 52% of men in the same age range. You might wonder how this looks in other age groups, particularly in the marketing-favored 25–44 demographic. Among men, the percentages are almost identical (a difference of about 2 percentage points). For women, the situation is more interesting: while 78% of women aged 25–44 consider themselves “housewives”, only 41% see themselves as the head of the household. It means staggering 19 percentage points less than women aged 45–64.

For those curious minds wondering if this is because there are more single women in the mature age group who manage on their own, the opposite is true. Among women aged 25–44, 28% are single (without a partner or spouse), compared to just 9% of women aged 45–64. Whether the increasing number of female heads of household with the rising age can be considered a career advancement is purely up to you.

Without diving too deeply into the data, there’s an interesting difference in property ownership among the wealthiest Czech demographic. Women more often report owning houses (43% vs. 38% of men), while men are more likely to own apartments (30% vs. 26% of women).

And who rules the finances?

When it comes to managing family finances (housing costs, car expenses, groceries), there’s a near tie. 50% of men aged 45–64 say they are the primary decision-makers, compared to 47% of women. Hopefully, they don’t end up in the same household. The remaining half of people claim shared decision-making.

Interestingly, among younger Czech women (aged 25–44), only 32% consider themselves the head of family finances. Among men in the same age group, the percentage of financial heads is nearly identical to that of older men (50%). This could be influenced by factors like maternity leave and childcare, where the main breadwinner may also dominate financial decisions. However, this is a topic for another time, and we’ll explore the question of limited financial leadership among younger women separately.

Christmas and Gambling

ASpeaking of finances, do you buy lottery tickets or play the lottery to finally gift yourself that elusive 100 million under the Christmas tree, just as the fortune-teller Jolanda predicted? For any women managing the family budget, whether as the sole leader or a co-leader, here’s a special tip: watch out for your male counterparts. Czech men have a penchant for gambling or, at the very least, sports betting.

How often do you participate in lottery games or bet on the results of sporting or other events?

Graf

Source: mPanel, výzkumný projekt GroupM

Gentlemen succumb to this gambling passion from a young age, and it seems to slightly intensify with age. Younger Czech men aged 25–44 gamble with nearly the same enthusiasm. The same pattern holds true for women, but in reverse—neither younger nor middle-aged women appear to be drawn to gambling, and this restraint seems to last throughout their lives. Perhaps this explains why women take on the role of managing the family budget more often in middle age. Someone simply has to restore order to a household budget disrupted by men’s gambling habits.

GroupM wishes you a Merry Christmas (and gamble responsibly 😊)!

Want to know more?

All inquiries (Christmas-related or not) will be answered with usual sincerity by

petr.tomas@groupm.com