Caregiving Statistics: What They Reveal About Mobility and Aging in Place

Caregiving is a vital part of our healthcare system, but it often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. In this article, we’re putting caregivers in the spotlight. We’ll dive deep into the numbers, exploring key caregiver statistics in America. 

Join us as we reveal the real picture of caregiving and celebrate the everyday heroes who make a huge difference in our society.

Key Takeaways

• Caregiving is a diverse role that encompasses both informal (family and friends) and formal (trained professionals) caregivers.
• Over 63 million Americans provide unpaid care to family members or friends, greatly enhancing the well-being of those they care for.
• Caregivers of different age groups face significant challenges balancing caregiving duties with work, family, and other obligations.

What Is a Caregiver?

A caregiver offers help or takes care of someone else, often a family member or loved one who cannot care for themselves. This help could range from assistance with everyday tasks, such as cooking, shopping, and cleaning, to providing more intensive support like personal care or managing physical health conditions. 

Caregivers come in many forms, from family members volunteering their time to professionals in the healthcare sector. Regardless of their background, caregivers share a common goal: to improve the well-being and mental health of those under their care. Some of the biggest names to look out for in caregiving are the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP.

Caregiver Statistics

There are different types of caregiving based on the nature of the care provided, the relationship between the caregiver and the care recipient, and the setting where the care occurs. Here we focus on two broad categories: informal and formal caregiving.

Informal Caregiving

Informal caregiving involves assisting and supporting needy individuals, typically through family members or close friends. This type of caregiving is based on a personal relationship between the caregiver and the recipient. Informal caregivers often take on various responsibilities, including assistance with daily activities, emotional support, and care coordination.

Some statistics about informal caregiving:

• According to AARP, approximately 24% of U.S. adults provided unpaid care to an adult in the last 12 months (2025).
• The number of caregivers grew by about 20 million over the past decade (2015 to 2025).
• A study uncovered four distinct caregiver identities: the prisoner, crumbling caregiver, companionate caregiver, and redeemed caregiver. These identities reflect the varied experiences and transformations of caregivers, highlighting the complex nature of the caregiving role (2021).
• The total value of informal or family caregiver services in the United States was approximately $600 billion in 2021.
• A significant number of informal caregivers (20%) reported their health as fair to poor (2025).
• A study on the economic impact of family caregiving by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), in conjunction with the AARP Public Policy Institute, found that 36% of family caregivers of older adults experienced moderate to high levels of financial strain.

Formal Caregiving

Formal caregiving involves trained professionals, such as doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, and other healthcare providers, who are paid for their services and care. These caregivers, who have access to caregiving resources and may be covered by health insurance, often work in home care, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or hospitals.

Some statistics about formal caregiving:

• The U.S. had roughly 3,689,350 home health and personal care aides in May 2023.
• Personal care and home health aides are among the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S., expected to grow 17% from 2024 to 2034.
• The U.S. had around 15,000 certified nursing homes serving about 1.2 million residents (2022).
• The average caregiver’s salary is $34,900 annually, depending on location, company, education, and experience (May 2024).

Caregivers in the U.S.

Caregivers play a crucial role in the United States, providing vital support and care to individuals with various needs. The following statistics shed light on the prevalence of caregiving in the United States:

• Approximately 63 million caregivers in the U.S. provide unpaid assistance to family or friends (2025).
• Women caregivers are likelier to provide constant care (22%) than men (16%) (2025). 
• Around 27% of caregivers support and assist individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another memory-related impairment (2025).
• Most caregivers (76%) care for a single adult, while 20% are responsible for two adults, and 4% care for three or more adults (2025).
• African American/Black family caregivers are more likely to say they had a choice in becoming a caregiver (52%) than all caregivers overall (2025).

Caregiving Tasks

Caregiving tasks encompass various responsibilities and activities that caregivers undertake to support their care recipients. Here are some statistics related to caregiving tasks:

• 47% of caregiving recipients need assistance with getting in and out of beds and chairs, 38% need help with dressing, and 24% require aid with incontinence management (2025). 
• Working caregivers now perform more instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) than in 2015, including increased housework (77% vs. 75% in 2015) and meal preparation (67% vs. 64% in 2015) (2025). 
• Approximately 56% of caregivers reported they had no choice in taking on their caregiving responsibilities (2025). 
• At least one ADL (activity of daily living) is provided by nearly 70% of caregivers whose recipient resides in their home (2025).
• Caregivers providing care to a spouse/partner are more frequently involved in medical/nursing tasks (70%) than other caregivers (62%) (2025).

Caregiver Age

The age of caregivers can vary significantly, with individuals from different age groups taking on caregiving responsibilities. Here are some insights and statistics related to caregiver age:

• The average age of caregivers is roughly 50.6 years old (2025). 
• Approximately 24% of U.S. adults provided unpaid care to an adult in the last 12 months (2025).
• Despite their frailties and old age, caregivers aged 75+ develop coping strategies, including purpose reminders, humor, instrumental support, and improved decision-making, to manage their own health and caregiving responsibilities (2020).
• Younger caregivers (ages 18 to 49) are less likely to communicate with providers (57%) than caregivers ages 50 or older (70%) (2025).
• Over 3.4 million child caregivers contribute to the caregiving landscape in the United States, adding to the complexity and scope of caregiving (2020). 

Care Recipient Age

Though the age of care recipients can vary, a significant proportion of care recipients tend to be older individuals, usually in the “boomer” range (57-77). Here are some insights and statistics regarding the age of care recipients:

• Care recipients themselves are mostly older adults; nearly half are age 75 or older (2025). 
• Nearly half of all caregivers (48%) support individuals ages 75 and older, whereas 38% care for those ages 50 to 74 (2025). 
• The presence of multiple conditions among care recipients is common, with nearly three-quarters (73%) experiencing at least two categories of health conditions (2025). 
• Most caregivers provide care for adults aged 50 years or older (86%) (2025).

Caregiver and Care Recipient Relationships

The relationship between caregivers and care recipients shapes the caregiving experience. Here are some insights and statistics related to the caregiver and care-recipient relationships:

• About 89% of caregivers are related to their care recipients in some way. The most common relationships include caring for parents or parents-in-law (47%), spouses or partners (15%), grandparents or grandparents-in-law (8%), and siblings or siblings-in-law (4%) (2025).
• 24% of caregivers manage care for multiple individuals (2025).
• Most caregivers live with their care recipient (40%) or nearby (47%) (2025).
• Yet more than half (51%) of caregivers say caregiving gives them a sense of purpose (2025).
• Eight in ten caregivers find that caregiving has strengthened their relationship with the care recipient (2025).

Caregiving in Rural Areas vs. Cities/Suburbia

The caregiving experience can differ between rural areas and urban/suburban areas. Here are some insights and statistics about rural caregiving you may be interested in knowing:

• Twenty percent of caregivers live in rural areas (2025). 
• Caregivers living in rural areas more often report that affordable services are very difficult to find (34%) compared to those in suburban (26%) or urban (27%) areas (2025). 
• According to AARP, 11% of family caregivers live at least an hour away from their senior loved one. (2020)

Time Spent Caregiving

The amount of time caregivers dedicate to providing care can vary significantly depending on the needs of the care recipients and the intensity of caregiving required. Here are some insights and statistics related to the time spent on caregiving:

• On average, caregivers in the United States spend approximately 27.3 hours per week of part-time care on their recipients (2025). 
• Just over one in three caregivers (35%) provides care for 21 or more hours per week, while 24% consider caregiving full-time, requiring 41 or more hours per week (2025). 
• Caregiving is long term for many: 30% of caregivers have provided care for five years or more (2025).
• Duration of caregiving influences the time spent. Caregivers providing care for less than one year spend 22.9 hours per week, those in the 1-4 year range spend 20.9 hours, while those with 5+ years of experience dedicate 27.5 hours per week on average (2020).