Facts & Figures

1. 1 in every 8 adults is a carer
2. There are 220,000 carers in Northern Ireland
3. Any one of us has a 6.6% chance of becoming a carer in any year
4. Carers save the Northern Ireland economy over £4.6 billion a year - more than the annual NHS spend in Northern Ireland.
5. The main carers' benefit is worth just £62.70 for a minimum of 35 hours - £8.96 per day
6. Over a quarter of all carers (26%) provide over 50 hours of care per week
7. People providing high levels of care are twice as likely to be permanently sick or disabled than the average person
8. Approximately 30,000 people in Northern Ireland care for more than one person
9. 64% of carers are women; 36% are men
10. By 2037 the number of carers could have increased to 400,000
11. 15% of the Northern Ireland workforce are balancing work and care
12. 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)