Compiled by SK Kutubuddin, Founder & Senior Care Researcher · Figures checked against the original sources on 30 October 2026
Key numbers at a glance
63 million
Americans are family caregivers — nearly 1 in 4 adults[1]
+20 million
more family caregivers than in 2015[1]
~1 in 4
caregivers give 40 or more hours of care a week[1]
1 in 3
have been caregiving for five years or longer[1]
~$600 billion
value of unpaid family care in 2021 (36 billion hours)[3]
59%
of dementia caregivers report high or very high emotional stress[4]
Who family caregivers are
- 63 million Americans give unpaid care to a family member or friend — nearly 1 in 4 adults, and about 20 million more than in 2015.[1]
- 59 million of them care for an adult aged 18 or over.[1]
- One in three caregivers is under 50, and 29% are also raising children — the “sandwich generation.”[2]
- About 11.2 million family caregivers receive some pay for their care, through programs such as Medicaid, the VA or state programs.[1][2]
Time and intensity of care
- Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers give 40 or more hours of care a week — the equivalent of a full-time job.[1]
- One-third have been caregiving for five years or more.[1]
- Over 40% provide high-intensity care.[2]
- 65% help with at least one activity of daily living, such as bathing, dressing or getting out of bed.[1]
- Just over 20% have had formal training for the medical and nursing tasks they carry out.[1]
The cost to caregivers’ money and health
- Nearly half report at least one major financial impact — taking on debt, stopping saving, or being unable to afford food.[1]
- AARP puts the average a caregiver spends out of their own pocket at roughly $7,200 a year.[1]
- 1 in 5 caregivers describe their own health as fair or poor, and nearly 1 in 4 struggle to look after their own health because of caregiving.[1]
- Nearly 1 in 4 feel socially isolated.[1]
What unpaid family care is worth
AARP estimates that family caregivers gave about 36 billion hours of unpaid care in 2021, worth about $600 billion. That is more than all out-of-pocket health spending in the United States that year, and $130 billion more than AARP’s previous estimate for 2019.[3]
Dementia caregiving
Caring for someone with dementia is among the most demanding kinds of family care. The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 report gives these national figures.[4]
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Americans 65+ living with Alzheimer’s (2026) | 7.4 million |
| Unpaid caregivers for someone with dementia | nearly 13 million |
| Hours of unpaid dementia care (2025) | more than 19 billion |
| Value of that unpaid care | $446.3 billion |
| Dementia caregivers reporting high or very high emotional stress | 59% |
| Health and long-term care costs for dementia (2026, projected) | $409 billion |
| of which Medicare and Medicaid | $263 billion (64%) |
| of which out-of-pocket | $103 billion |
The $409 billion care cost does not include the value of unpaid family care.
What caregivers say would help
In the 2025 survey, caregivers were asked which kinds of support they back.[1]
| Kind of support | Caregivers in favor |
|---|---|
| A tax credit for family caregivers | 69% |
| Programs that pay family caregivers | 68% |
| Paid leave from work | 55% |
| Respite services (short breaks from caregiving) | almost 40% |
If you are one of the 63 million
The numbers above say two things clearly: most caregivers do this for years, and few get training or a break. These free tools are a place to start.
About these numbers
ElderlyDaily did not run these surveys. We compiled the figures from the publishers listed below and link each one to its source. The sources cover different years — the 2025 caregiver survey, AARP’s 2021 value estimate and the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 report — so we name the year wherever it matters.
How to cite this page
ElderlyDaily. “Family Caregiver Statistics 2026: Key Numbers on Unpaid Care.” Updated 30 October 2026. https://elderlydaily.com/resources/family-caregiver-statistics
Journalists and researchers: see our press page for data requests.
Download this data (CSV), with a source link on every row.
Sources
- [1] AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving — Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, press release (24 July 2025). Survey of 6,858 caregivers fielded by Ipsos
- [2] AARP Public Policy Institute — Caregiving in the US 2025: Key Trends, Strains, and Policy Needs (24 July 2025)
- [3] AARP — Valuing the Invaluable 2023 Update, press release (8 March 2023)
- [4] Alzheimer’s Association — 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures
