New AARP Report Shows One in Four Americans Provide Unpaid Care

Caregiving in the U.S. 2025 Report estimates 45% growth in unpaid caregivers in ten years, with tasks becoming more complex and no formal training.

AARP's “Caregiving in the U.S. 2025” report paints a vivid and urgent portrait of how family caregiving has swelled nationwide. An estimated 63 million Americans—about one in four adults—now provide unpaid care to loved ones, a jaw-dropping 45% increase in just ten years.

• Today’s typical caregiver is a 51-year-old woman, likely still juggling a paid job, and often responsible for both an aging parent and children—a growing “sandwich generation.”

• Caregiving now averages nearly 27 hours per week, with almost a quarter of caregivers spending 40 hours or more; for many, it’s like holding down a second full-time job.

• The tasks have also become more complex, moving far beyond companionship and meal prep: over 40% are responsible for high-intensity medical care, such as managing medications, medical equipment, and even wound care—yet only a small fraction have received any formal training.

Caregiving Taking Its Toll

This demanding unpaid labor is taking a steep toll. Fifty percent of working caregivers report adverse impacts on their jobs—forced to reduce hours, take leaves of absence, or turn down advancement opportunities. The financial strain is real: out-of-pocket costs average over $7,000 a year, with one in four caregivers incurring debt, and many unable to meet basic needs like food or housing. Worker protections lag behind, especially for the 70% of caregivers under age 65 who are still in the workforce—many in jobs lacking paid leave or flexibility.

Emotionally and physically, caregivers are under pressure. Nearly two-thirds experience high stress; one in five say their own health has suffered. Even more pronounced stress occurs among women, rural caregivers (who face even greater resource shortages), and those providing care because there were no other alternatives.

Meanwhile, only a tiny fraction—about 1.9 million out of 63 million—receive any pay for their work. The vast majority do it out of family duty, love, and sheer necessity.

National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers

The report closes with a call for comprehensive policy changes and community action: paid family leave, tax credits, workplace flexibility, access to respite care and caregiver training, and a reimagining of how we collectively support this growing, essential workforce. The data makes clear that caregiving is no longer a rare act of charity or duty—it's a structural reality shaping the future of families, workplaces, and the nation as a whole.

A broad coalition of policy experts and family caregiving organizations are rallying for robust reforms to better support America’s growing caregiver population, as articulated in the latest national strategies and the 2025 caregiving report.

A comprehensive federal plan, rooted in the RAISE Family Caregivers Act, includes hundreds of action items such as expanding paid family leave, providing caregiver tax credits, improving access to training, respite, and community supports, strengthening workplace protections, and enhancing financial security for unpaid caregivers. It also urges cross-sector collaboration, improved information/referral services, and the growth of the paid care workforce.

Older Americans Act Reauthorization and Expansion of Home and Community-Based Services

Leaders urge swift reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which funds essential in-home support, meal delivery, adult day programs, transportation, and respite, helping caregivers keep loved ones safe at home. Proposed updates emphasize greater flexibility for local agencies, expanded services, and increased funding to reflect the nation's aging population.

Caregiver Tax Credits and Workplace Protections

Policymakers—across party lines—are advocating for a federal tax credit to offset out-of-pocket caregiving expenses and reforms that would introduce or expand paid family leave and prohibit workplace discrimination against caregivers, helping them balance employment with caregiving duties.

Expanded Respite Care and Caregiver Training

There is substantial consensus behind scaling up access to respite programs (temporary relief for family caregivers) and funding comprehensive caregiver training, ensuring caregivers have the resources and skills to safely support loved ones while maintaining their own well-being.

Strengthening the Paid Care Workforce

Bolstering recruitment, retention, and professional development for paid caregivers, increasing wages and benefits, and streamlining pathways for entry into the caregiving field are critical recommendations to relieve family caregivers and ensure stable, quality support for older adults and people with disabilities.