Proportion of informal carers by characteristics & proportion of the population who are informal carers

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Headline data

Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
Year Value Units Series Observation status Unit multiplier
2004/05 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2005/06 9.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2006/07 9.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2007/08 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2008/09 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2009/10 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2010/11 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2011/12 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2012/13 9.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2013/14 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2014/15 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2015/16 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2016/17 8.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2017/18 7.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2018/19 7.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2019/20 7.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units
2020/21 6.0 Percentage (%) Proportion of population who are informal carers Normal value Units

Source: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Geographical Area: United Kingdom

Unit of Measurement: Percentage (%)

Footnote:

1) Data collection for 2020/21 has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see the background relevant Family Resources Survey (FRS) Information and Methodology for the specific adjustments that have been made in light of the COVID impacts on the sample.

2) For the series "Proportion of population who are informal carers" the base population of the percentage is the total adult population, for instance "in 2020/21, 6 percent of the total adult population were informal carers" . For the series "Proportion of informal carers by characteristics" the base population of the percentage is all informal carers, for instance "in 2020/21, of all informal carers, 53 percent were in employment".

3) There are some intentional breaks in the time-series for younger age groups in the 'Proportion of informal carers by characteristics' as for some years there are missing data due to negligible estimates (populations of less than 0.5 per cent, or 0.1 million). For the years 2014/15 and 2015/16 the youngest age category (0-15 years old) is split into two age categories.

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.

Indicator available

Proportion of informal carers by characteristics & proportion of the population who are informal carers
Indicator description

Proportion of the population who are informal carers, by proportion of time per day on informal care care, age and sex. Proportion of those who provide informal care, by employment status, weekly income and hours caring per week.
Geographical coverage

United Kingdom
Unit of measurement

Percentage (%)
Definitions

Informal carers - the Family Resources Survey (FRS) defines all those giving help on an informal basis (that is, not as part of a paid job) as informal carers. This definition is consistent with the Government Statistical Service (GSS) harmonised “core” definition . Professional carers can also be informal carers if giving help outside of work. What should be counted as care is not prescriptively defined but includes activities such as going shopping for someone and helping with paperwork. Those in receipt of care may be receiving either formal or informal care or a mixture of both.
Available disaggregations

Age, Sex, Income, Proportion of time
Calculations
Other information

Data collection for 2020/21 has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please see the background relevant Family Resources Survey (FRS) Information and Methodology for the specific adjustments that have been made in light of the COVID impacts on the sample. This indicator is being used as an approximation of the UN SDG Indicator. Where possible, we will work to identify or develop UK data to meet the global indicator specification. This indicator has been identified in collaboration with topic experts.
Data last updated 20 May 2022
Metadata last updated 20 May 2022

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name

Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
Target name

Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
Global indicator description
UN designated tier

Tier II
UN custodian agency

UN Statistics Division (UNSD)
Link to UN metadata United Nations Sustainable Development Goals metadata for target 5.4 opens in a new window
Organisation

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Periodicity

Annual
Earliest available data

2004/05
Geographical coverage

United Kingdom
Link to data source Family Resources Survey opens in a new window
Release date 31 March 2022
Next release

March 2023
Statistical classification

National statistics
Contact details

team.frs@dwp.gov.uk 
Other information

Carers data tables (5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.6 for 2014/15 onwards)
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