The individual contributions made by the woman and the man to the household's earnings are the result of the different activity rate and remuneration of each partner. On average in couple households, women contribute about a third and men almost two thirds to the household's annual earnings. This imbalance varies in severity depending on the family situation. In couples without children the woman provides a greater part of the total earnings than in couples with child(ren). As the number of children in the household increases, this contribution declines.
In couple households with the youngest child aged 13 to 17 and even more clearly in those with a child aged 18 to 24, children probably already make a significant contribution to the income of the household that is derived from work: In those with children of the older age group, the contribution of members other than the couple amounts at a quarter.
In a sixth of couples, the woman contributes no earnings of her own. Among couples without children, one third of the women contribute at least half of the household earnings. This share is around one in eight when children are present in the household.
