Back to Top

 Skip navigation

Carers and Social Supports

77%
Persons aged 15 years and over with 3 or more people to count on if they had a serious problem, 2019

This chapter relating to “Carers and Social Supports” provides data and insights on Carers in Ireland (who they are, how many hours of caring they provide, etc.) and the extent to which people in Ireland can rely on informal social supports (assistance from neighbours for example). This chapter also outlines, for those aged 65 years and older, the extent to which they experience difficulties with certain personal care and household activities.

The data in this chapter was collected as part of the “Irish Health Survey” in 2019 and early 2020. The survey is based on self-reported data from persons aged 15 years and over, and outlines their view of their health status, the informal social supports available to them, and the extent to which they encounter (for persons aged 65 years and over) difficulties in performing personal care (for example, eating, dressing themselves, showering) or household activities (such as performing housework or shopping). The data collection for this publication was conducted between July 2019 and February 2020 and accordingly relates to the pre-pandemic health and other experiences of respondents.

Visit tables IH165-IH208 on PxStat

Link to publication: Carers and Social Supports

Open in Excel:

At State level, 77% of persons aged 15 years and over report that they have 3 or more persons they can count on in the event of a serious problem. In terms of nationality, 79% of Irish nationals report that they have 3 or more persons they can count on in the event of a serious problem, compared to 65% of non-Irish persons, with the main difference being that 31% of Irish nationals report they have 6 or more persons they can count on, compared to 23% of non-Irish nationals.

Also, at State level, 1% of persons aged 15 years and over report they have no one to count on in the event of a serious problem, with 4% of non-Irish persons reporting similarly.

Persons In Employment report higher numbers than the Unemployed of persons they can count on in the event of a serious problem, with 78% of persons In employment reporting they can count on 3 or more persons, compared to 69% of Unemployed persons.

By age, the youngest age group surveyed, the 15-24 years cohort, report the highest number of persons they can count on in the event of a serious problem (81% of this age group report they can count on 3 or more persons). All the other age groups report in and around that three-quarters of them have 3 or more persons they can count on. 

Persons classed as Very Affluent report that 82% of them have 3 or more persons they can count on in the event of a serious problem, compared to three-quarters of persons who are Very Disadvantaged, with the difference being largely driven by the Very Affluent reporting higher rates of having 6 or more persons they can count on (36% vs 27%).

Table 5.1 Persons aged 15 years and over by number of persons they are close enough to that they could count on them if they had a serious problem, 2019

NoneOne or twoThree to fiveSix or more
Irish 1204831
Non-Irish4314223
Open in Excel:

At State level, 91% of persons aged 15 years and over feel that others show some or a lot of concern and interest in what they are doing, with females (93%) reporting marginally higher levels than males (89%). This high rate of interest is replicated across age groups, regions and levels of affluence with all categories reporting that in and around 90% of the cohort feel that others show some or a lot of concern in what they are doing.

The oldest age group surveyed, 75 years and overreport the highest levels of other persons showing a lot of concern in what they are doing (two-thirds of this age group). However, the age groups before this one (aged 55-64 and 65-74 years) report the relatively lowest numbers for those showing a lot of interest in what they are doing at 57% each.

Unemployed persons report lower levels of others showing a lot of interest in what they are doing than those In employment, 52% of Unemployed persons compared to 59% of those In employment.

Table 5.2 Persons aged 15 years and over by degree of concern and interest others show in what you are doing, 2019

No concern and interestLittle concern and interestUncertainSome concern and interestA lot of concern and interest
15-241243261
25-342243062
35-441353358
45-542543158
55-642353357
65-742443257
75+1342567
Open in Excel:

At State level, three-quarters of persons aged 15 years and over report they find it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours. Older persons report higher levels of finding it easy than younger persons, with over 80% of persons aged 55 years and over reporting it is Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours. Persons in the age group 25-34 years reported the relatively lowest levels for finding it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours (65%).

Persons in the Dublin region report the lowest levels for finding it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours, with two-thirds (66%) of them reporting so. The Midland region report the highest levels (84%), with persons in the Border (83%) and West (80%) also reporting levels far higher than Dublin.

Non-Irish persons report lower levels than Irish people for finding it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours (59% of non-Irish compared to 77% of Irish nationals), while more affluent persons also report lower levels than more Disadvantaged persons for ease of getting practical help from neighbours. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Very Affluent persons report they find it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours, however nearly eight in ten (78%) of Very Disadvantaged persons aged 15 years and over report they find it Easy or very easy to get practical help from neighbours.

Table 5.3 Persons aged 15 years and over by degree of ease of getting practical help from neighbours, 2019

Age group15-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475+
Easy or very easy71657377828084
Open in Excel:

At State level, 13% of persons aged 15 years and over provide care (excluding professional activities) to another person at least once a week by virtue of that other person’s suffering from some age problem, chronic health condition or infirmity. The age group 45-54 years is the group which provides the most care, at a fifth (20%) of this age group, with the age group 25-34 years providing the least care (5%). For the age group 75 years and over, 9% of this group provide care to another person at least once a week.

In the main, the care provided is to another family member with the younger age groups more likely to be providing care to another family member. Carers in the 25-34 years cohort, provide 95% of their care to another family member, while 79% of the care provided by persons aged 75 years and over is provided to another family member. 

More females (14%) than males (11%) are carers, and Unemployed persons provide more care to others than those In Employment, with 17% of Unemployed persons compared to 11% of those In Employment providing care. 

In terms of relative affluence, all the relative affluence groups bar one report that 12% of them provide care to another person at least once a week by virtue of that other person’s suffering from an age problem, chronic health condition or infirmity. Persons in the Very Disadvantaged group report that 15% of them provide care to another person at least once a week. 

Table 5.4 Persons aged 15 years and over by provision of care at least once a week, 2019

Age group15-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475+
Provide care85112019169
Open in Excel:

In this section we analyse the self-reported health status of carers and non-carers, as report by them themselves.  In general, carers report a poorer level of health status than non-carers, although in some cases the differences are small. In terms of self-perceived health status, 82% of carers compared to 85% of non-carers report a Good or very good level of health status, with 15% of carers reporting their health status as Fair compared to 11% of non-carers. 

As regards the prevalence of a long-standing condition, 30% of carers report having such a condition, compared to 25% of non-carers, and 21% of carers report some level of limitation as regards everyday activities due to a health problem compared to 18% of non-carers.

For mental health, 19% of carers report some form of depression (with mild depression accounting for 13 percentage points of this), compared to 13% of non-carers (with mild depression accounting for 8% of this).

Table 5.5 Self-perceived health status of carers and non-carers, 2019

Mental health statusNone to minimal depressionMild depressionModerate depressionModerately severe or severe depression
Carers811342
Non-carers87832
Open in Excel:

Almost four in ten (37%) persons aged 65 years and over report some degree of difficulty with doing heavy housework, with 10% of persons aged 65 years and over reporting they cannot do heavy housework at all. Doing heavy housework is the activity which generates the most difficulty, with using the telephone the least difficult activity for persons aged 65 years and over. 

Over nine in ten (91%) persons aged 65 years and over report No difficulty with managing their medication, while 6% report that they cannot do shopping at all. As regards preparing meals, 5% of persons aged 65 years and over report Some difficulty with preparing meals, 2% report A lot of difficulty, while 3% report that they cannot prepare meals at all.

Table 5.6 Details of difficulty with household activities in those aged 65 and over, 2019

No difficulty
Difficulty preparing meals89
Difficulty using the telephone95
Difficulty shopping84
Difficulty managing medication91
Difficulty doing light housework87
Difficulty doing occasional heavy housework63
Difficulty taking care of finances and everyday administrative tasks89

Go to next chapter - Crime

Why you can Trust the CSO

Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.