New Report Reveals Crisis Point for America’s 63 million Family Caregivers

One in 4 Americans provide ongoing, complex care; report finds they endure poor health, financial strain and isolation. Up 20 million since 2015.

AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving have released a sweeping new report that paints a stark picture of the state of family caregiving in America. Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 reveals that 63 million Americans—nearly 1 in 4 adults—provided ongoing care for an adult or a child with a complex medical condition or a disability in the past year, an increase of 20 million from 2015 to 2025. Of these 63 million caregivers, 59 million were caring for someone over 18. The report is available here.

“Family caregivers are a backbone of our health and long-term care systems—often providing complex care with little or no training, sacrificing their financial future and their own health, and too often doing it alone,” said AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan. “As our population ages, we must act boldly to support people providing this crucial source of care. At AARP, we're urging Congress to pass a federal tax credit to provide some financial relief for caregivers who are paying, on average, roughly $7,200 a year out-of-pocket in caregiving expenses.”

"The data reveals a portrait of ordinary Americans providing extraordinary care," said Jason Resendez, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. "This research makes painfully clear that family caregiving is no longer a looming crisis—it's a daily reality that 63 million Americans shoulder every day. When nearly 1 in 4 adults are providing complex care with virtually no training, and more than 13 million struggle to care for their own health while caring for others, we cannot continue to treat family caregiving as invisible labor. It's past time for a national reckoning with how we value care in this country—and for Congress, states, and employers to act with policies that reflect the essential role family caregivers play in our society."

Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 found:

• Caregiving is a full-time job: Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers report providing 40+ hours of care per week. One-third have been caregiving for five years or more.
• America’s ‘Sandwich Generation’ is stretched thin: Nearly 1 in 3 caregivers are also raising children under 18 while caring for an adult loved one. This figure rises to 47% among caregivers under 50 and is especially common among Latino (43%) and Black (36%) caregivers.
• Financial strain is widespread: Nearly half of caregivers experienced at least one major financial impact—such as taking on debt, stopping savings, or being unable to afford food. Rural caregivers have less access to affordable services. The challenge is greatest for younger, lower-income, Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ caregivers.
• Workplace support is vital and growing: Six in 10 family caregivers are employed on top of their family caregiving responsibilities; half of them report experiencing work disruptions like going in late or leaving early to care for a loved one. More family caregivers than ever report having access to family caregiving related benefits like flex time and caregiving assistance. Salaried workers have dramatically better access to benefits.
• Caregivers’ health is suffering: 1 in 5 caregivers report being in fair or poor health, and nearly 1 in 4 say they struggle to care for their own health due to caregiving responsibilities. Reports of emotional stress have risen since 2020.
• Training is lacking: Only 11% of caregivers have received medical training to assist with ADLs or IADLs, yet more caregivers than ever helping with these tasks. Just over 20% of caregivers have received formal training on medical and nursing tasks despite over half managing complex medical and nursing tasks like injections, wound care, or medication management - yet 65% of caregivers are helping with any ADLs and almost all caregivers help with any IADLs.
• Caregivers feel more alone: Nearly 1 in 4 caregivers report feeling socially isolated—a number that’s growing. Women, LGBTQ+ caregivers, and those who felt they had no choice in becoming caregivers are significantly more likely to report feeling alone.
• The vast majority are still unpaid: While 11.2 million family caregivers now receive some compensation, most are still unpaid. Paid family caregivers are more likely to be younger, lower-income, and racially diverse.
• Caregivers need more support: Support systems are not keeping pace with the demand for family care. Caregivers overwhelmingly support tax credits (69%), paid leave (55%), and programs that pay family caregivers (68%). Almost 40% say respite services would be helpful.

What is new in the 2025 report?

• State-level data are now available, with a separate state report to be released in Fall 2025;
• For the first time, information is now available to characterize the more than 11 million “paid family caregivers” who participate in caregiver payment programs, such as the Medicaid home and community-based (HCBS) self-direction waivers;
• More data on the caregiver experience is available on care coordination and use of other caregiving help, via an expanded Level of Caregiving Complexity Index.

The report calls for immediate, sustained action in policy and practice — from expanding paid leave and respite services to ensuring financial, emotional, and training supports reach the caregivers who need them most.

The Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 survey used a nationally representative, probability-based online panel from IPSOS. The study surveyed 6,858 caregivers aged 18 or older who had provided care for an adult relative or friend 18+, or a child with a complex medical condition or disability within the past 12 months.

Caregiving in the U.S., first conducted in 1997 by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP, is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative data resources on family caregivers in America. The study has been repeated in 2004, 2009, 2015, and 2020, with each edition providing updated information on caregiver demographics and other factors affecting caregiving. The 2025 update is the most comprehensive study of this critical area of American life to date. CGUS helps us understand the impact of caregiving on caregivers' health, the prevalence of paid family caregiving, and provides estimates of caregiving prevalence on a state-by-state basis.

The 2025 study was funded by AARP, Pivotal, The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Genworth, New York Life, Home Instead, Archstone Foundation, The John A. Hartford Foundation, and Mass Mutual.

For more information about the report, visit www.aarp.org/caregivingintheus2025 and www.caregivingintheus.org.

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About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.

 

About the National Alliance for Caregiving
Since 1996, the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) has been a catalyst for change, transforming how the United States recognizes, supports, and values our 63 million family caregivers providing complex care. Through our nationally recognized research and our advocacy for the first-ever National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, we drive the policy, system, and culture change needed to make family caregivers a national priority. With more than 50 members, we build partnerships across aging, disability, healthcare, philanthropy, and the private sector to make caregiving more sustainable, equitable, and dignified. To learn more visit www.caregiving.org.