The caregiving gap between men and women has grown

A new study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series B reveals an expanding discrepancy in the amount of care provided by men and women to aging relatives and friends in the United States. Women, on average, are projected to devote seven years of caregiving over their lifetimes, a figure that has risen from six years in 2011 to three additional years compared to men, whose lifetime caregiving remains at four years.

Vicki Freedman, a research professor at the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research, notes that the number of adults providing care to older relatives or friends is rapidly increasing across the nation. Despite the growing number of men engaging in caregiving responsibilities, the study finds that the gap in lifetime family caregiving has not narrowed between genders in recent years.

While spousal caregiving shows parity, with both men and women expected to invest around 1.5 years of care per lifetime, this equality does not hold for other familial relationships. Women can anticipate spending more than a year longer caring for their parents and additional months for grandparents. Moreover, women are projected to dedicate over a year more annually to extended family and friends.

The research, which analyzed nearly 8,500 responses from the National Study of Caregiving alongside federal population data, examines the varying time frames for different types of care, including personal assistance, household tasks, transportation, and medical support. Women are expected to spend more years than men providing each form of care to an older adult.

Researchers utilized a demographic technique to project lifetime caregiving responsibilities should present trends continue. This methodology calculates the years of caregiving each gender can expect to offer to older adults if current rates persist. The study highlights that the increase in the number of family caregivers for adults aged 65 and above—from 18 million in 2011 to over 24 million recently—mirrors a rising demand for care in the aging population.

However, the researchers also observe an increasing number of older adults living without close family, suggesting a potential expansion of the caregiving gap between men and women in the future. Factors such as changes in family structure, the accessibility and affordability of paid care, and evolving social norms may influence the trajectory of caregiving practices in the coming years. The National Institute on Aging funded this research.