2024 National Carer Survey Summary Report
Published Date: 17.4.2025
Theme: Caring and society
Sub-theme: Carer statistics
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This publication / resource is hosted on a publicly available external link. If the full text is not publicly accessible, summary points are included and a contact method for the author(s) is provided, where available.
The summary information presented is based on content submitted by an author or other user, along with publicly available information about the publication / resource added by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team.
All content is reviewed, edited and approved by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team, in line with our Submission Guidelines.
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Theme: Caring and society
Sub-theme: Carer statistics
Verification Statement
This publication / resource is hosted on a publicly available external link. If the full text is not publicly accessible, summary points are included and a contact method for the author(s) is provided, where available.
The summary information presented is based on content submitted by an author or other user, along with publicly available information about the publication / resource added by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team.
All content is reviewed, edited and approved by the Carer Knowledge Exchange team, in line with our Submission Guidelines.
To report an issue or request a change, please complete our Feedback Form.
2024 National Carer Survey Summary Report
Published Date: 17.4.2025
Long Summary
The National Carer Survey is an initiative of Carers NSW in partnership with the State and Territory Carer Organisations, proudly funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. The 2024 National Carer Survey was conducted from June to July 2024 and received a total of 10,096 responses from all states and territories of Australia. Of the 10,096 carers who responded to the 2024 National Carer Survey, the majority identified as female, they were on average 58 years old and represented a range of locations and cultural backgrounds. Most identified their cultural background as Australian and lived in metropolitan areas, and 57.2% of respondents were employed or looking for paid work while providing care.
Key Messages for Carers
- Carers’ highest reported support needs are for peer support, breaks from caring, and supports for their own mental health.
- Formal services do not necessarily facilitate breaks from the caring role, even when this is a stated intention. Overall, the majority of carers disagree that the services the person they care for receives provide a ‘respite effect’, i.e. enable them to rest and recharge, or focus on paid work or studying.
- Only among carers of people using aged care services did a relative majority agree that the services allowed them to dedicate time to focusing on responsibilities outside their caring roles. For those caring for someone accessing NDIS and mental health services, the majority disagreed.
Key Messages for Policy Makers
- Far too many carers across Australia are missing out on basic necessities: 4.3% of respondents reported never having enough food, with another 6.9% only sometimes having access to enough food. A further 6.1% of respondents had a safe place to live only sometimes or not at all. These findings indicate that many carers are living in acute poverty and need urgent support.
- The number of carers who experienced high to very high levels of psychological distress has risen to more than half of respondents (53.7% in 2024, up from 47.7 in 2020), and 61.2% were socially isolated or highly socially isolated, up from 56.2% in 2020. The average wellbeing score remains with 55.7% on the Personal Wellbeing Index significantly below the Australian average of 74.4%. Further, the financial situation of carers also has deteriorated since 2020, with 58.6% of respondents experiencing financial stress, up from 50.7% in 2020.
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