Are you a caregiver? If not, chances are someone close to you is — a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor. Caregiving impacts nearly everyone. In fact, did you know that one in four American adults provide care for a loved one?
As caregiving continues to play a vital role in households across the country, understanding the realities behind it is more important than ever. Here are key insights and statistics from the Caregiving in the US 2025 Research Report that shed light on the growing impact of caregiving today.
Demographics
- In the US, 59 million caregivers report caring for adults ages 18 and older, and four million report caring for a child under 18 with an illness or disability.
- The average caregiver is 51 years old.
- Women make up 61% of caregivers.
- Sixty one percent of caregivers identify as non-Hispanic white individuals. Latino/Hispanic caregivers represent 16%. African American/Black caregivers are 13%. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) caregivers represent 6%.
- Twenty percent of caregivers live in rural areas.
- Twenty-four percent of caregivers support more than one care recipient. Most are caring for relatives, especially parents or spouses, but 11% are caring for nonrelatives such as friends or neighbors.
- Older caregivers tend to care for spouses, whereas younger ones are more likely to care for older generations.
Conditions and needs
- Care recipients themselves are mostly older adults; nearly half are age 75 or older. Most of these older adults face multiple chronic health conditions. Common primary conditions include age-related decline, Alzheimer’s or other dementias, mobility limitations, cancer, and postsurgical recovery.
- Cognitive issues are prevalent: 27% of caregivers have reported that their care recipient has Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another memory-related impairment.
- Caregivers under 50 are more likely to manage short-term or mental health conditions, whereas older caregivers typically support those with long-term physical health issues. These patterns highlight how the caregiving trajectory differs across the lifespan.
- Many caregivers also handle medical or nursing tasks such as managing catheters, performing injections, or monitoring vital signs. More than half (55%) provide these types of tasks, yet only 22% received training for this. Training often comes from nurses or doctors when it is available.
- Thirty percent of caregivers provided care for five or more years, a significant increase from 2020. On average, caregivers spend 27 hours per week providing care, and 24% provide 40 or more hours per week. Two-thirds of caregivers help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL) like bathing, dressing, toileting, feeding, and mobility – all of which has increased since 2020.
- Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)—such as shopping, managing finances, preparing meals, and handling transportation—are common responsibilities. More caregivers are helping with multiple IADLs than in 2015. Just over 8 in 10 caregivers (84%) assist with three or more IADLs. Despite the complexity of ADL and IADL tasks, only 11% of caregivers received any formal training to prepare them for these tasks.
Working and caregiving
- Seven in ten working-age (ages 18 to 64) caregivers are engaged in paid employment. Balancing work and care responsibilities is challenging. Half of all working caregivers experience work impacts such as arriving late, leaving early, or taking time off to meet caregiving obligations.
- Working caregivers more often feel isolated (25%) and face negative financial impacts, including taking on more debt (22%), using up short-term savings (31%), and leaving bills unpaid or paying bills late (19%).
- Many caregivers hesitate to disclose their role—only 49% say their supervisor knows they are a caregiver.
Caregiver health
- Caregivers often struggle to maintain their own physical and emotional health while caring for someone else. One in five family caregivers rate their health as fair or poor, and nearly a quarter say they have difficulty caring for themselves.
- Women, LGBTQ+ caregivers, and those living with their care recipient report the worst impacts. Often, caregivers experience high emotional stress (64%) and physical strain (45%). Feelings of isolation have increased since 2020, with 24% of caregivers saying they feel alone.
- Caregivers who report having no choice in becoming a caregiver—56% of all respondents—experience significantly worse mental health outcomes, more days of physical strain, and lower perceived purpose in caregiving.
Conclusion
Over the past decade, family caregiving has seen a significant rise. In 2025, 24% of adults in the US are providing care for a loved one – up from 18% just 10 years ago. The intensity and duration of caregiving have also increased, placing greater emotional, physical, and financial demands on caregivers.
Good news… help is available!!
While the pace of progress has been slow, there have been some policy changes that benefited family caregivers. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for an immediate family member. Importantly, workers using FMLA may maintain access to their employer-sponsored group health benefits. New York State residents may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of leave at 67% of their pay to care for a family member. New York State Medicaid also offers the opportunity for family caregivers to be paid for their time through the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP).
The statistics on caregivers are stark, but illustrate that, if you are a caregiver, you are not alone. Care Answered is here to take the lead – guiding you through the caregiving process, connecting you with the right resources, and helping you make informed decisions with confidence and peace of mind.