Family caregiving reference
Recent data on the people providing care, the growing older-adult population, and the safety concerns that shape everyday support at home.
Last updated November 6, 2026
The national picture
These figures come from the latest available national caregiving research. Each statistic links directly to its named source.
In 2025, 63 million Americans provided ongoing care for an adult or a child with a complex medical condition or disability. That is nearly 1 in 4 adults.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, July 24, 2025.
Of the 63 million family caregivers counted in 2025, 59 million were caring for an adult. This helps show the scale of support families provide as loved ones age.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, July 24, 2025.
The number of Americans providing family care grew by 45% from 2015 to 2025, an increase of nearly 20 million people.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, July 24, 2025.
In 2025, 29% of family caregivers were supporting both children and adults, often called the sandwich generation.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, Caregiving in the U.S. 2025, July 24, 2025.
In 2024, the 59 million people caring for an adult provided an estimated 49.5 billion hours of unpaid family care.
Source: AARP Public Policy Institute, Valuing the Invaluable 2026, March 26, 2026. Data year: 2024.
AARP estimated the economic value of those 2024 family-care hours at $1.01 trillion, using an average value of $20.41 per hour.
Source: AARP Public Policy Institute, Valuing the Invaluable 2026, March 26, 2026. Data year: 2024.
Arkansas and safety context
National figures show the broader care landscape. These Arkansas and older-adult safety figures add context for families planning support close to home.
The U.S. population age 65 and older reached 61.2 million in 2024, representing 18.0% of the population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates, June 26, 2025.
Arkansas had 542,356 residents age 65 and older in 2022. They made up 17.8% of the state population, after growing 22.5% over the prior decade.
Source: Administration for Community Living, 2023 Profile of Older Americans, using 2022 data.
More than 14 million adults age 65 and older, about 1 in 4, report falling each year. Falls are the leading cause of injury for this age group.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Older Adult Falls Data, accessed November 6, 2026.
In 2020, 33.1% of Arkansas adults age 65 and older reported at least one unintentional fall in the prior year.
Methodology and sources
This page brings together the most recent, clearly dated figures available from the sources below. Caregiving studies use their own definitions and methods, while population and fall figures are collected through federal data systems. Dates describe the reporting year, data year, or publication date named with each statistic.
Care needs are personal. A statistic can help frame the size of an issue, but it cannot decide what is safe or right for one household. For a conversation about day-to-day support in Northwest Arkansas or Southwest Missouri, visit Caregiving or contact Misty.