Highlights

Men and women 

• Women were slightly more likely, 18%, than men, 15%, to provide informal help or support. 

Age 

• Adults aged 55-64 were most likely to report providing care; 23% of men and 29% of women. 

Income 

• Provision of care tended to decrease with increasing income. 

Relationship with person being cared for 

• Care was most commonly provided to a parent; with 46% of men and 47% of women providing this care.
• Just under a quarter of men, 22%, provided help or support for their spouse or partner, compared with 15% of women. 

Time spent caring

• Around a quarter of men, 26%, and a third of women, 31%, provided 10 or more hours of care in the last week.
• Just under a fifth of men and women provided 20 or more hours of care in the last week. 

Health of carers

• Among informal carers, almost two thirds of men, 63%, and half of women, 50%, said that their health was not affected by their caring activity.
• Among those who reported an impact on their own health, the most common effects were a general feeling of tiredness and stress. 

Employment of carers

• 58% of men and 48% of women who provided informal care were employed and reported no impact on their employment.