Caregiver Health
Key Takeaways
- Twenty percent of caregivers report their health as fair or poor, and caregivers who live with their care recipient report poorer health than other caregivers.
- Nearly 25 percent of caregivers indicate difficulty in caring for themselves because of caregiving.
- More female than male caregivers report poor health and physical and emotional strain.
- Feelings of isolation are common for caregivers. More caregivers now report feeling alone (nearly one in four) compared with those in 2020.
- For half of caregivers, caregiving provides a sense of purpose or meaning in life.
Caregiver Health
Caregivers face the challenge of taking care of their own health as they focus on their care recipient’s well-being. In 2025, one in five caregivers report fair or poor health, similar to findings from 2020. Caregivers who live with their care recipient more often report fair or poor health (26 percent).
Figure 32.
Caregiver Self-Rated Health
This year’s survey included the CDC Healthy Days measure, a series of four questions assessing perceived physical and mental health of the caregiver over the past 30 days (Moriarty et al. 2003). On average, caregivers report having four days per month where poor mental or physical health kept them from doing their usual activities (see figure 33), which can make completing their caregiving duties difficult. Nearly 20 percent of caregivers report having a disability that prevented their full participation in work, school, housework, or other activities.
Some caregivers report more poor health days than others. Caregivers under age 50 and those who live with their care recipient report more poor mental health days than the total population of caregivers. LGBTQ+ caregivers and lower-income caregivers are more likely to report their health as fair or poor (28 percent and 32 percent, respectively).
Figure 33.
CDC Healthy Days Measure
Twenty-three percent of caregivers report difficulty in caring for their own health as a result of their caregiving (see figure 34), a figure that is higher among female caregivers (26 percent), LGBTQ+ caregivers (33 percent), Hispanic/Latino caregivers (27 percent), and lower-income caregivers (31 percent).
Figure 34.
Difficulty Caring for Own Health
Figure 35.
Physical Strain of Caregiving
| CATEGORY | Year | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 28.30 |
| 2 | 2015 | 26.00 |
| 3 | 2015 | 26.00 |
| 4 | 2015 | 12.10 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 7.40 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 29.20 |
| 2 | 2020 | 24.90 |
| 3 | 2020 | 28.60 |
| 4 | 2020 | 10.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 6.70 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 30.00 |
| 2 | 2025 | 24.40 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.80 |
| 4 | 2025 | 11.80 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 6.90 |
| BY CAREGIVER AGE | Year | 18 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65 to 74 | 75 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 30.70 | 32.00 | 28.70 | 23.50 | 27.80 | 25.80 |
| 2 | 2015 | 25.30 | 22.40 | 27.90 | 24.90 | 27.50 | 29.80 |
| 3 | 2015 | 27.30 | 28.00 | 25.80 | 27.50 | 20.60 | 22.30 |
| 4 | 2015 | 10.40 | 10.70 | 10.60 | 13.00 | 15.80 | 16.40 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 6.30 | 6.90 | 6.40 | 10.30 | 8.40 | 5.70 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 35.00 | 29.80 | 27.00 | 27.90 | 27.50 | 22.20 |
| 2 | 2020 | 26.60 | 20.20 | 23.40 | 25.50 | 31.10 | 20.00 |
| 3 | 2020 | 23.60 | 31.70 | 29.90 | 29.60 | 23.00 | 41.20 |
| 4 | 2020 | 10.50 | 8.80 | 10.00 | 10.90 | 12.30 | 11.00 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 3.90 | 9.50 | 9.50 | 6.10 | 6.10 | 5.60 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 30.50 | 29.10 | 29.40 | 31.20 | 31.10 | 27.10 |
| 2 | 2025 | 25.00 | 22.10 | 23.60 | 25.40 | 24.20 | 27.50 |
| 3 | 2025 | 28.00 | 26.30 | 29.40 | 24.40 | 26.80 | 26.90 |
| 4 | 2025 | 9.40 | 15.00 | 10.80 | 12.00 | 12.00 | 10.70 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 7.10 | 7.20 | 6.70 | 6.80 | 5.90 | 7.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER EDUCATION | Year | Less than high school | High school grad | Some college or Associates | Bachelors degree | Masters degree or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 18.20 | 28.70 | 30.50 | 28.10 | 29.10 |
| 2 | 2015 | 28.00 | 23.00 | 26.10 | 28.70 | 26.70 |
| 3 | 2015 | 24.50 | 26.90 | 26.60 | 23.70 | 26.70 |
| 4 | 2015 | 12.90 | 11.50 | 10.60 | 14.40 | 12.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 16.40 | 9.40 | 5.80 | 5.10 | 5.10 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 28.60 | 29.30 | 29.90 | 30.70 | 25.60 |
| 2 | 2020 | 26.40 | 22.30 | 22.30 | 27.90 | 30.60 |
| 3 | 2020 | 30.00 | 29.00 | 28.80 | 28.00 | 27.40 |
| 4 | 2020 | 7.10 | 12.00 | 11.00 | 8.90 | 10.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 7.80 | 7.40 | 8.00 | 4.40 | 5.40 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 22.30 | 31.80 | 28.60 | 30.70 | 33.80 |
| 2 | 2025 | 22.20 | 19.90 | 25.70 | 27.40 | 27.10 |
| 3 | 2025 | 27.80 | 26.70 | 28.20 | 27.40 | 22.60 |
| 4 | 2025 | 11.70 | 13.60 | 12.20 | 9.60 | 10.70 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 15.60 | 8.00 | 5.20 | 4.90 | 5.60 |
| BY CAREGIVER EMPLOYMENT | Year | Employed | Not employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 31.90 | 23.00 |
| 2 | 2015 | 25.20 | 27.00 |
| 3 | 2015 | 26.50 | 25.20 |
| 4 | 2015 | 10.30 | 14.70 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 5.70 | 10.00 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 28.80 | 29.80 |
| 2 | 2020 | 27.00 | 21.40 |
| 3 | 2020 | 28.40 | 28.90 |
| 4 | 2020 | 9.30 | 12.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 6.50 | 7.20 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 31.80 | 27.10 |
| 2 | 2025 | 24.90 | 23.80 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.20 | 28.00 |
| 4 | 2025 | 11.20 | 12.70 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 5.80 | 8.40 |
| BY CAREGIVER GENDER | Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 27.50 | 28.80 |
| 2 | 2015 | 25.30 | 26.40 |
| 3 | 2015 | 28.40 | 24.30 |
| 4 | 2015 | 11.50 | 12.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 7.30 | 7.50 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 28.90 | 29.40 |
| 2 | 2020 | 26.50 | 23.90 |
| 3 | 2020 | 28.70 | 28.50 |
| 4 | 2020 | 11.70 | 9.70 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 4.00 | 8.50 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 33.30 | 28.00 |
| 2 | 2025 | 26.30 | 23.20 |
| 3 | 2025 | 24.50 | 28.00 |
| 4 | 2025 | 10.10 | 12.90 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 5.60 | 7.70 |
| BY CAREGIVER HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Year | Under $15k | $15 to $29k | $30 to $49k | $50 - 74k | $75 - 99k | $100k+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 22.90 | 23.70 | 30.60 | 27.50 | 29.40 | 32.70 |
| 2 | 2015 | 23.10 | 28.00 | 27.90 | 26.90 | 24.80 | 24.50 |
| 3 | 2015 | 29.70 | 24.50 | 25.70 | 27.00 | 23.60 | 25.90 |
| 4 | 2015 | 10.70 | 14.60 | 9.20 | 12.10 | 18.10 | 9.80 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 13.70 | 8.90 | 6.00 | 6.60 | 4.10 | 6.80 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 26.40 | 24.20 | 33.80 | 33.40 | 23.10 | 30.10 |
| 2 | 2020 | 22.00 | 26.50 | 23.10 | 23.90 | 25.80 | 25.90 |
| 3 | 2020 | 37.90 | 30.90 | 23.30 | 26.50 | 30.00 | 28.20 |
| 4 | 2020 | 7.90 | 11.80 | 12.10 | 8.90 | 12.10 | 10.20 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 5.90 | 6.00 | 7.60 | 7.30 | 9.00 | 5.60 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 22.10 | 24.40 | 27.00 | 28.80 | 29.20 | 34.20 |
| 2 | 2025 | 17.20 | 21.00 | 21.50 | 24.40 | 24.50 | 27.00 |
| 3 | 2025 | 31.60 | 31.80 | 29.00 | 30.10 | 25.20 | 23.50 |
| 4 | 2025 | 14.40 | 10.60 | 14.80 | 10.00 | 14.10 | 10.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 14.10 | 12.10 | 7.50 | 6.50 | 6.80 | 4.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER LGBTQIA+ | Year | Yes LGBTQIA+ | No, not LGBTQIA+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 25.30 | 28.60 |
| 2 | 2015 | 24.10 | 26.00 |
| 3 | 2015 | 30.80 | 25.70 |
| 4 | 2015 | 13.60 | 11.80 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 6.20 | 7.60 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 21.60 | 29.90 |
| 2 | 2020 | 22.20 | 24.90 |
| 3 | 2020 | 37.10 | 27.90 |
| 4 | 2020 | 14.10 | 10.20 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 5.10 | 7.00 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 28.70 | 30.60 |
| 2 | 2025 | 25.00 | 24.40 |
| 3 | 2025 | 28.40 | 26.30 |
| 4 | 2025 | 9.60 | 11.90 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 8.40 | 6.70 |
| BY CAREGIVER RACE | Year | White non-Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | Asian, Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | Other | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 28.50 | 26.70 | 24.80 | 35.80 | 28.90 |
| 2 | 2015 | 27.00 | 25.10 | 23.30 | 19.70 | 24.50 |
| 3 | 2015 | 23.90 | 32.20 | 32.50 | 20.50 | 27.30 |
| 4 | 2015 | 13.20 | 8.90 | 15.60 | 11.40 | 9.30 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 7.10 | 6.50 | 3.80 | 12.50 | 10.00 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 29.40 | 30.90 | 26.60 | 33.00 | 27.40 |
| 2 | 2020 | 28.30 | 17.30 | 29.60 | 22.50 | 17.70 |
| 3 | 2020 | 26.20 | 31.70 | 27.70 | 23.70 | 35.50 |
| 4 | 2020 | 9.90 | 12.80 | 10.40 | 9.00 | 10.90 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 6.00 | 7.20 | 5.70 | 11.80 | 8.50 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 32.10 | 30.50 | 28.80 | 22.80 | 24.70 |
| 2 | 2025 | 26.70 | 19.50 | 21.40 | 24.20 | 20.70 |
| 3 | 2025 | 24.60 | 33.30 | 34.20 | 31.70 | 26.20 |
| 4 | 2025 | 11.20 | 9.60 | 11.50 | 12.40 | 15.50 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 5.30 | 6.70 | 4.20 | 8.90 | 12.80 |
| BY CHOICE | Year | Had a choice | Did not have a choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2015 | 38.00 | 18.10 |
| 2 | 2015 | 27.50 | 24.30 |
| 3 | 2015 | 22.20 | 30.00 |
| 4 | 2015 | 7.90 | 16.40 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2015 | 3.90 | 11.10 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2020 | 38.10 | 21.40 |
| 2 | 2020 | 26.20 | 23.80 |
| 3 | 2020 | 22.50 | 33.80 |
| 4 | 2020 | 8.90 | 12.00 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2020 | 4.00 | 9.00 |
| 1 - Not a strain at all | 2025 | 41.20 | 21.40 |
| 2 | 2025 | 23.30 | 25.50 |
| 3 | 2025 | 23.60 | 29.00 |
| 4 | 2025 | 8.20 | 14.60 |
| 5 – Very much a strain | 2025 | 3.60 | 9.40 |
Caregiving can affect both physical and emotional health. Nearly two-thirds of caregivers report moderate or high emotional stress, and 45 percent of caregivers experience moderate or high physical strain. More women than men report physical strain (21 percent and 16 percent, respectively) and emotional strain (41 percent and 33 percent, respectively). Hispanic/Latino caregivers more often report physical strain (28 percent) than other caregivers (19 percent).
Figure 36.
Emotional Stress of Caregiving
| CATEGORY | Year | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 15.70 |
| 2 | 2015 | 20.30 |
| 3 | 2015 | 25.40 |
| 4 | 2015 | 22.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 15.90 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 16.00 |
| 2 | 2020 | 19.50 |
| 3 | 2020 | 27.90 |
| 4 | 2020 | 18.80 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 17.60 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 16.50 |
| 2 | 2025 | 18.90 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.10 |
| 4 | 2025 | 21.10 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 17.00 |
| BY CAREGIVER AGE | Year | 18 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65 to 74 | 75 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 18.00 | 15.80 | 14.70 | 12.30 | 19.10 | 14.80 |
| 2 | 2015 | 24.80 | 18.30 | 17.00 | 19.50 | 19.10 | 23.70 |
| 3 | 2015 | 22.20 | 29.00 | 25.00 | 25.50 | 26.40 | 27.60 |
| 4 | 2015 | 21.70 | 22.00 | 25.10 | 22.50 | 19.90 | 19.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 12.90 | 14.30 | 18.30 | 19.60 | 14.50 | 13.10 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 17.10 | 18.20 | 15.40 | 14.70 | 15.30 | 14.60 |
| 2 | 2020 | 21.90 | 17.30 | 14.50 | 18.60 | 28.70 | 17.90 |
| 3 | 2020 | 26.00 | 31.90 | 24.90 | 27.10 | 25.20 | 42.40 |
| 4 | 2020 | 21.00 | 14.80 | 20.40 | 20.80 | 13.50 | 17.60 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 13.60 | 17.30 | 24.60 | 18.80 | 17.30 | 7.50 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 19.80 | 16.80 | 14.10 | 15.10 | 17.80 | 15.40 |
| 2 | 2025 | 17.30 | 16.30 | 18.60 | 19.10 | 22.20 | 23.60 |
| 3 | 2025 | 27.10 | 28.60 | 24.70 | 24.00 | 25.10 | 29.20 |
| 4 | 2025 | 20.70 | 20.90 | 23.50 | 22.40 | 18.60 | 18.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 15.10 | 16.80 | 19.00 | 19.00 | 16.20 | 13.60 |
| BY CAREGIVER EDUCATION | Year | Less than high school | High school grad | Some college or Associates | Bachelors degree | Masters degree or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 20.80 | 19.60 | 15.80 | 13.90 | 7.60 |
| 2 | 2015 | 23.20 | 17.70 | 21.10 | 21.70 | 20.20 |
| 3 | 2015 | 26.40 | 19.60 | 23.70 | 30.90 | 31.70 |
| 4 | 2015 | 14.50 | 22.10 | 24.30 | 21.30 | 24.20 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 14.40 | 20.20 | 14.80 | 12.20 | 15.10 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 21.80 | 19.70 | 16.50 | 13.30 | 9.30 |
| 2 | 2020 | 25.20 | 18.80 | 18.30 | 21.70 | 18.10 |
| 3 | 2020 | 28.20 | 25.60 | 27.20 | 30.60 | 29.70 |
| 4 | 2020 | 8.70 | 19.10 | 19.30 | 18.30 | 22.80 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 16.10 | 16.40 | 18.80 | 16.10 | 19.60 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 17.90 | 23.00 | 15.50 | 12.10 | 12.50 |
| 2 | 2025 | 17.20 | 16.60 | 18.80 | 20.90 | 21.60 |
| 3 | 2025 | 25.80 | 27.10 | 26.20 | 25.30 | 25.30 |
| 4 | 2025 | 20.70 | 15.30 | 22.60 | 25.80 | 22.80 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 18.20 | 17.50 | 16.60 | 15.90 | 17.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER EMPLOYMENT | Year | Employed | Not employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 15.80 | 15.50 |
| 2 | 2015 | 21.60 | 18.40 |
| 3 | 2015 | 24.90 | 26.10 |
| 4 | 2015 | 23.30 | 20.70 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 14.00 | 18.60 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 15.80 | 16.20 |
| 2 | 2020 | 19.50 | 19.60 |
| 3 | 2020 | 27.00 | 29.30 |
| 4 | 2020 | 19.80 | 17.20 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 17.60 | 17.60 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 16.10 | 17.20 |
| 2 | 2025 | 19.50 | 18.10 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.60 | 25.20 |
| 4 | 2025 | 21.00 | 21.50 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 16.50 | 17.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER GENDER | Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 14.90 | 16.20 |
| 2 | 2015 | 22.00 | 19.20 |
| 3 | 2015 | 27.90 | 23.60 |
| 4 | 2015 | 22.20 | 22.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 12.40 | 18.20 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 16.60 | 15.60 |
| 2 | 2020 | 23.30 | 17.10 |
| 3 | 2020 | 27.00 | 28.40 |
| 4 | 2020 | 18.00 | 19.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 14.70 | 19.40 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 20.40 | 14.10 |
| 2 | 2025 | 19.80 | 18.40 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.30 | 26.00 |
| 4 | 2025 | 20.70 | 21.50 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 12.60 | 19.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Year | Under $15k | $15 to $29k | $30 to $49k | $50 - 74k | $75 - 99k | $100k+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 21.00 | 18.00 | 18.80 | 11.20 | 18.00 | 10.70 |
| 2 | 2015 | 18.40 | 19.60 | 20.90 | 27.00 | 16.70 | 18.30 |
| 3 | 2015 | 24.10 | 22.30 | 25.00 | 23.10 | 24.20 | 31.00 |
| 4 | 2015 | 20.60 | 24.70 | 19.00 | 24.10 | 21.30 | 23.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 15.80 | 14.50 | 15.90 | 14.40 | 19.30 | 16.00 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 17.10 | 19.50 | 20.20 | 17.00 | 9.60 | 14.50 |
| 2 | 2020 | 25.50 | 16.10 | 21.80 | 20.00 | 21.00 | 17.50 |
| 3 | 2020 | 25.90 | 29.70 | 22.70 | 28.00 | 29.80 | 29.20 |
| 4 | 2020 | 18.40 | 16.00 | 17.00 | 17.90 | 21.80 | 20.10 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 13.20 | 18.10 | 18.30 | 16.60 | 17.40 | 18.70 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 18.10 | 18.50 | 17.70 | 17.80 | 13.80 | 15.80 |
| 2 | 2025 | 11.30 | 15.70 | 19.40 | 19.60 | 21.40 | 19.20 |
| 3 | 2025 | 29.10 | 27.60 | 25.30 | 27.00 | 23.40 | 26.20 |
| 4 | 2025 | 19.30 | 19.70 | 18.90 | 20.00 | 22.70 | 22.60 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 21.50 | 18.10 | 18.30 | 15.60 | 18.20 | 16.10 |
| BY CAREGIVER LGBTQIA+ | Year | Yes LGBTQIA+ | No, not LGBTQIA+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 13.80 | 15.90 |
| 2 | 2015 | 17.80 | 20.50 |
| 3 | 2015 | 24.10 | 25.60 |
| 4 | 2015 | 29.50 | 21.50 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 14.80 | 16.00 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 17.80 | 15.90 |
| 2 | 2020 | 17.90 | 19.60 |
| 3 | 2020 | 23.00 | 28.10 |
| 4 | 2020 | 21.30 | 18.90 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 19.90 | 17.30 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 13.10 | 17.10 |
| 2 | 2025 | 20.80 | 18.80 |
| 3 | 2025 | 27.40 | 26.10 |
| 4 | 2025 | 17.10 | 21.50 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 21.50 | 16.40 |
| BY CAREGIVER RACE | Year | White non-Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | Asian, Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | Other | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 13.00 | 20.30 | 13.40 | 18.10 | 22.40 |
| 2 | 2015 | 21.30 | 15.50 | 24.90 | 15.90 | 19.40 |
| 3 | 2015 | 23.70 | 31.70 | 30.50 | 22.10 | 25.20 |
| 4 | 2015 | 24.20 | 20.00 | 17.60 | 21.20 | 18.70 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 17.50 | 11.50 | 13.60 | 21.30 | 13.10 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 13.70 | 23.30 | 9.10 | 13.40 | 20.60 |
| 2 | 2020 | 21.00 | 19.60 | 18.40 | 20.50 | 14.40 |
| 3 | 2020 | 26.60 | 27.80 | 26.70 | 28.50 | 33.10 |
| 4 | 2020 | 19.90 | 16.80 | 23.80 | 17.90 | 15.20 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 18.60 | 12.50 | 22.00 | 18.30 | 16.70 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 15.60 | 22.80 | 15.00 | 15.60 | 15.80 |
| 2 | 2025 | 19.90 | 16.80 | 23.00 | 19.90 | 15.10 |
| 3 | 2025 | 25.20 | 29.00 | 26.50 | 19.00 | 29.50 |
| 4 | 2025 | 21.90 | 17.20 | 24.90 | 23.10 | 19.70 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 17.20 | 13.60 | 10.50 | 22.20 | 19.50 |
| BY CHOICE | Year | Had a choice | Did not have a choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2015 | 23.80 | 7.30 |
| 2 | 2015 | 25.60 | 14.80 |
| 3 | 2015 | 26.30 | 24.40 |
| 4 | 2015 | 16.20 | 28.70 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2015 | 7.80 | 24.20 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2020 | 25.70 | 7.40 |
| 2 | 2020 | 24.90 | 14.80 |
| 3 | 2020 | 26.20 | 29.60 |
| 4 | 2020 | 12.50 | 24.30 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2020 | 10.40 | 23.80 |
| 1 - Not at all stressful | 2025 | 27.90 | 7.70 |
| 2 | 2025 | 22.50 | 15.90 |
| 3 | 2025 | 26.10 | 26.20 |
| 4 | 2025 | 14.80 | 26.10 |
| 5 - Very stressful | 2025 | 8.60 | 23.80 |
“
I miss my own home, my grandchildren and my financial freedom, but am fully willing to do this for my parents so they can enjoy their last years.
Cindy, California
Caregiver to her parents
In addition to emotional strain, nearly one in four caregivers (24 percent) report feeling alone, a slight increase from 2020 (21 percent). More female (26 percent compared with 20 percent of male) and LGBTQ+ caregivers (32 percent compared with 23 percent of non-LGBTQ) report feeling alone compared with other caregivers.
Figure 37.
Feeling Alone
| CATEGORY | Year | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 32.70 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 25.20 |
| Neither | 2020 | 20.30 |
| Agree | 2020 | 16.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 5.20 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 31.30 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 24.60 |
| Neither | 2025 | 19.60 |
| Agree | 2025 | 17.60 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 6.50 |
| BY CAREGIVER AGE | Year | 18 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65 to 74 | 75 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 29.30 | 35.60 | 30.40 | 34.10 | 38.10 | 30.80 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 25.20 | 22.90 | 26.70 | 24.50 | 25.70 | 27.60 |
| Neither | 2020 | 24.50 | 24.10 | 17.80 | 17.50 | 16.10 | 21.80 |
| Agree | 2020 | 14.80 | 12.60 | 18.40 | 17.00 | 15.90 | 17.80 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 6.20 | 4.90 | 5.50 | 6.70 | 2.90 | 1.00 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 29.20 | 27.30 | 25.90 | 34.00 | 37.50 | 38.20 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 21.00 | 25.90 | 27.00 | 25.30 | 23.10 | 24.80 |
| Neither | 2025 | 21.60 | 20.50 | 20.10 | 17.70 | 20.60 | 15.40 |
| Agree | 2025 | 17.70 | 19.60 | 18.60 | 16.80 | 14.80 | 17.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 10.20 | 6.40 | 8.00 | 5.50 | 3.10 | 3.50 |
| BY CAREGIVER EDUCATION | Year | Less than high school | High school grad | Some college or Associates | Bachelors degree | Masters degree or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 23.40 | 31.40 | 33.20 | 34.20 | 35.80 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 27.60 | 27.70 | 22.00 | 24.60 | 28.40 |
| Neither | 2020 | 21.10 | 20.50 | 21.50 | 20.20 | 16.80 |
| Agree | 2020 | 11.90 | 15.40 | 17.20 | 15.70 | 16.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 11.30 | 5.00 | 5.80 | 4.70 | 2.10 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 20.00 | 34.50 | 30.60 | 33.20 | 31.80 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 26.20 | 20.60 | 23.40 | 27.30 | 29.70 |
| Neither | 2025 | 22.40 | 23.10 | 18.80 | 17.40 | 16.50 |
| Agree | 2025 | 20.10 | 14.70 | 19.60 | 17.20 | 17.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 10.50 | 6.50 | 7.10 | 4.60 | 4.80 |
| BY CAREGIVER EMPLOYMENT | Year | Employed | Not employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 33.50 | 31.40 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 25.50 | 24.80 |
| Neither | 2020 | 19.60 | 21.30 |
| Agree | 2020 | 15.80 | 16.50 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 5.20 | 5.30 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 31.10 | 31.40 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 26.10 | 22.30 |
| Neither | 2025 | 19.20 | 20.20 |
| Agree | 2025 | 17.40 | 17.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 5.90 | 7.40 |
| BY CAREGIVER GENDER | Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 32.50 | 32.80 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 28.60 | 23.10 |
| Neither | 2020 | 20.50 | 20.10 |
| Agree | 2020 | 13.40 | 17.70 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 4.50 | 5.70 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 35.70 | 28.60 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 24.00 | 24.90 |
| Neither | 2025 | 20.30 | 19.30 |
| Agree | 2025 | 14.30 | 19.40 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 5.50 | 7.10 |
| BY CAREGIVER HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Year | Under $15k | $15 to $29k | $30 to $49k | $50 - 74k | $75 - 99k | $100k+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 24.20 | 28.30 | 31.80 | 34.30 | 31.70 | 36.40 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 23.90 | 19.50 | 31.20 | 20.90 | 30.90 | 25.00 |
| Neither | 2020 | 26.80 | 29.70 | 11.40 | 22.70 | 14.70 | 20.10 |
| Agree | 2020 | 17.10 | 14.90 | 16.70 | 17.50 | 17.70 | 14.40 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 6.80 | 6.00 | 8.30 | 4.20 | 4.90 | 3.80 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 15.00 | 27.60 | 27.40 | 28.40 | 30.60 | 36.90 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 15.60 | 21.00 | 21.30 | 28.50 | 23.00 | 26.40 |
| Neither | 2025 | 34.00 | 22.30 | 22.00 | 18.00 | 20.40 | 16.90 |
| Agree | 2025 | 18.70 | 20.00 | 20.40 | 17.70 | 18.00 | 15.60 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 16.00 | 8.10 | 8.20 | 6.40 | 7.60 | 4.00 |
| BY CAREGIVER LGBTQIA+ | Year | Yes LGBTQIA+ | No, not LGBTQIA+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 33.20 | 32.90 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 14.60 | 26.50 |
| Neither | 2020 | 19.50 | 20.00 |
| Agree | 2020 | 18.40 | 15.80 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 14.30 | 4.30 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 25.70 | 31.90 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 21.20 | 25.00 |
| Neither | 2025 | 20.70 | 19.50 |
| Agree | 2025 | 20.80 | 17.10 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 11.10 | 5.90 |
| BY CAREGIVER RACE | Year | White non-Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | Asian, Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | Other | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 33.80 | 34.20 | 20.70 | 47.20 | 28.80 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 26.50 | 25.20 | 23.80 | 15.00 | 22.80 |
| Neither | 2020 | 16.90 | 19.60 | 32.70 | 16.30 | 29.60 |
| Agree | 2020 | 16.90 | 16.50 | 19.60 | 15.80 | 11.60 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 5.60 | 3.20 | 3.30 | 5.70 | 6.20 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 33.00 | 32.20 | 24.00 | 25.40 | 28.30 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 24.20 | 24.60 | 28.80 | 22.20 | 25.30 |
| Neither | 2025 | 19.00 | 21.00 | 22.40 | 20.20 | 20.10 |
| Agree | 2025 | 18.30 | 13.70 | 18.50 | 21.60 | 16.40 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 5.20 | 7.10 | 6.40 | 10.70 | 9.50 |
| BY CHOICE | Year | Had a choice | Did not have a choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 43.30 | 23.60 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 26.80 | 24.00 |
| Neither | 2020 | 17.40 | 22.60 |
| Agree | 2020 | 9.30 | 21.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 2.50 | 7.40 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 44.30 | 21.10 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 25.50 | 23.80 |
| Neither | 2025 | 17.60 | 21.20 |
| Agree | 2025 | 9.40 | 24.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 2.70 | 9.50 |
Sense of Purpose
For caregivers, positive emotions often coexist with feelings of isolation, stress, or strain. Half of caregivers report that their role as a caregiver gives them a sense of purpose or meaning in life (51 percent; see figure 38).
Compared with the total population of caregivers, Hispanic/Latino caregivers are more likely to agree that their role gives them a sense of purpose (58 percent), as are lower-income caregivers (56 percent), those who provide more hours of care (57 percent), and those caring for a nonrelative (63 percent).
Figure 38.
Sense of Purpose
| CATEGORY | Year | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 6.90 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 10.70 |
| Neither | 2020 | 31.50 |
| Agree | 2020 | 37.10 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 13.70 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 7.00 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 11.20 |
| Neither | 2025 | 30.80 |
| Agree | 2025 | 35.30 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 15.40 |
| BY CAREGIVER AGE | Year | 18 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65 to 74 | 75 or older |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 6.50 | 6.70 | 5.00 | 9.30 | 5.00 | 9.20 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 11.70 | 14.00 | 9.40 | 8.70 | 9.90 | 11.90 |
| Neither | 2020 | 25.90 | 28.70 | 35.60 | 35.20 | 35.40 | 25.10 |
| Agree | 2020 | 39.40 | 36.80 | 37.20 | 33.40 | 34.90 | 45.40 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 16.50 | 13.70 | 12.30 | 13.30 | 14.20 | 8.40 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 10.40 | 5.50 | 9.20 | 6.30 | 3.50 | 5.70 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 13.40 | 11.40 | 12.60 | 10.90 | 8.60 | 8.20 |
| Neither | 2025 | 24.90 | 28.00 | 30.30 | 33.30 | 37.80 | 32.20 |
| Agree | 2025 | 34.90 | 38.90 | 33.40 | 34.00 | 34.80 | 36.30 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 15.90 | 15.90 | 14.30 | 15.30 | 14.90 | 17.20 |
| BY CAREGIVER EDUCATION | Year | Less than high school | High school grad | Some college or Associates | Bachelors degree | Masters degree or above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 10.20 | 5.80 | 7.40 | 5.80 | 7.40 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 8.00 | 7.90 | 11.60 | 14.40 | 9.50 |
| Neither | 2020 | 24.80 | 24.90 | 33.10 | 33.20 | 40.40 |
| Agree | 2020 | 39.70 | 44.50 | 35.30 | 32.60 | 33.30 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 15.90 | 16.80 | 12.70 | 13.70 | 9.40 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 7.90 | 6.30 | 6.80 | 7.10 | 7.60 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 9.60 | 8.60 | 10.90 | 13.30 | 14.80 |
| Neither | 2025 | 24.20 | 30.40 | 31.80 | 33.10 | 30.60 |
| Agree | 2025 | 41.60 | 36.30 | 33.30 | 34.80 | 34.70 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 16.00 | 18.00 | 16.90 | 11.40 | 12.30 |
| BY CAREGIVER EMPLOYMENT | Year | Employed | Not employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 7.70 | 5.50 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 10.80 | 10.50 |
| Neither | 2020 | 31.90 | 30.90 |
| Agree | 2020 | 35.70 | 39.20 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 13.70 | 13.70 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 7.50 | 6.20 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 12.20 | 9.70 |
| Neither | 2025 | 30.10 | 31.80 |
| Agree | 2025 | 35.60 | 34.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 14.30 | 17.20 |
| BY CAREGIVER GENDER | Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 5.90 | 7.50 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 13.80 | 8.70 |
| Neither | 2020 | 31.80 | 31.30 |
| Agree | 2020 | 36.40 | 37.50 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 12.00 | 14.80 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 7.10 | 6.60 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 10.90 | 11.50 |
| Neither | 2025 | 32.50 | 29.90 |
| Agree | 2025 | 34.80 | 35.60 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 14.70 | 15.90 |
| BY CAREGIVER HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Year | Under $15k | $15 to $29k | $30 to $49k | $50 - 74k | $75 - 99k | $100k+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 7.60 | 4.50 | 8.50 | 8.10 | 7.20 | 6.00 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 6.30 | 7.00 | 8.90 | 13.00 | 16.60 | 10.30 |
| Neither | 2020 | 17.20 | 27.30 | 29.10 | 30.50 | 29.50 | 39.20 |
| Agree | 2020 | 46.90 | 44.50 | 36.60 | 35.00 | 35.20 | 33.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 22.00 | 16.70 | 16.30 | 13.40 | 11.10 | 10.60 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 10.10 | 5.50 | 6.00 | 5.90 | 6.80 | 7.80 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 4.00 | 5.30 | 10.10 | 9.30 | 12.40 | 14.20 |
| Neither | 2025 | 30.80 | 27.20 | 30.20 | 28.50 | 29.50 | 33.10 |
| Agree | 2025 | 34.10 | 42.50 | 36.00 | 37.40 | 37.50 | 32.10 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 20.40 | 18.90 | 16.80 | 18.70 | 13.60 | 12.70 |
| BY CAREGIVER LGBTQIA+ | Year | Yes LGBTQIA+ | No, not LGBTQIA+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 6.90 | 6.90 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 10.70 | 10.80 |
| Neither | 2020 | 29.40 | 31.50 |
| Agree | 2020 | 38.40 | 36.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 14.60 | 13.80 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 10.40 | 6.70 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 10.70 | 11.40 |
| Neither | 2025 | 31.90 | 31.10 |
| Agree | 2025 | 34.90 | 35.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 11.70 | 15.40 |
| BY CAREGIVER RACE | Year | White non-Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | Asian, Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | Other | Hispanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 7.10 | 7.90 | 4.60 | 7.40 | 6.00 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 12.30 | 9.50 | 9.30 | 2.60 | 7.70 |
| Neither | 2020 | 34.40 | 23.50 | 41.30 | 30.10 | 25.10 |
| Agree | 2020 | 36.80 | 36.10 | 33.10 | 38.90 | 39.90 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 9.40 | 23.00 | 11.70 | 20.90 | 20.90 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 6.70 | 7.70 | 5.80 | 13.30 | 5.50 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 11.30 | 10.20 | 13.40 | 8.60 | 12.00 |
| Neither | 2025 | 33.10 | 28.20 | 32.90 | 30.30 | 24.00 |
| Agree | 2025 | 35.20 | 30.70 | 35.80 | 35.40 | 39.00 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 13.50 | 22.30 | 12.10 | 12.40 | 19.30 |
| BY CHOICE | Year | Had a choice | Did not have a choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongly Disagree | 2020 | 5.90 | 7.80 |
| Disagree | 2020 | 7.40 | 13.70 |
| Neither | 2020 | 27.10 | 35.60 |
| Agree | 2020 | 40.50 | 33.70 |
| Strongly agree | 2020 | 18.80 | 9.30 |
| Strongly Disagree | 2025 | 5.20 | 8.40 |
| Disagree | 2025 | 6.10 | 15.10 |
| Neither | 2025 | 26.80 | 34.00 |
| Agree | 2025 | 40.10 | 31.40 |
| Strongly agree | 2025 | 21.50 | 10.80 |
Choice in Caregiving
Previous Caregiving in the US research indicates that the choice—or lack thereof—in becoming a family caregiver significantly affects well-being. This finding remains true in 2025. Over half of family caregivers (56 percent) felt they had no choice in taking on their caregiving role, with profound consequences for their health and outlook. African American/Black family caregivers are the most likely to say they had a choice in becoming a caregiver (52 percent).
The physical and mental health disparities are quantifiable: Caregivers who felt they had no choice have more poor physical health days (5.8 days on average vs. 4.6 days), nearly twice as many poor mental health days (8 vs. 4.5), and more days when health issues disrupted their normal activities (4.6 vs. 3.2).
The psychological impact is equally striking: Only 42 percent of involuntary caregivers find purpose in their role versus 62 percent of those who felt they had a choice.
Support networks also differ significantly. Caregivers who felt they did not have a choice less often have unpaid help (51 percent vs. 56 percent), and nearly three times more experience feelings of isolation (34 percent vs. 12 percent).