Facts & Figures
- 1 in every 8 adults is a carer
- There are 220,000 carers in Northern Ireland
- Any one of us has a 6.6% chance of becoming a carer in any year
- Carers save the Northern Ireland economy over £4.6 billion a year - more than the annual NHS spend in Northern Ireland.
- The main carers' benefit is worth just £62.70 for a minimum of 35 hours - £8.96 per day
- Over a quarter of all carers (26%) provide over 50 hours of care per week
- People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled than the average person
- Approximately 30,000 people in Northern Ireland care for more than one person
- 64% of carers are women; 36% are men
- By 2037 the number of carers could have increased to 400,000
- 15% of the Northern Ireland workforce are balancing work and care
- Every year approximately 69,000 people will move into a caring role and approximately 69,000 people's caring role will end
Sources: NI Census 2011, Valuing Carers (2011)