Employment

Unpaid care

About this topic

Unpaid care records whether people aged 15 years and over spent time providing unpaid help or assistance to someone because of disability, long-term illness, or problems related to old age. It captures informal care provided by family members or others in the community.

This topic is useful for understanding the demand placed on informal carers and the likely need for support services, respite, and home-based assistance. It does not measure the intensity or duration of care, so it should be read alongside need for assistance and other health and ageing indicators.

Interpretation notes

  • This records whether a person aged 15 years and over provided unpaid help or assistance in the previous two weeks because of disability, long-term illness, or old age.
  • It identifies whether care was provided, not the intensity, frequency, or number of hours of care.

Key insight

In 2021, not providing unpaid care was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Central Coast (C) (NSW), accounting for 81.2% (230,845 people). This share was lower than Greater Sydney (83.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid care, which increased by 20,116 people and 2.4 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid care

Central Coast (C) (NSW) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid care for Central Coast (C) (NSW) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Greater Sydney and change since 2016.

Unpaid care snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Central Coast (C) (NSW), with comparison markers for Greater Sydney.

Central Coast (C) (NSW)
Greater Sydney

Total Provided Unpaid Assistance

2021 count

35,488

% of total

12.5%

Change from 2016

-0.1pp

Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided

2021 count

230,845

% of total

81.2%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated

2021 count

17,915

% of total

6.3%

Change from 2016

-2.3pp

Data table

Unpaid care for Central Coast (C) (NSW). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.

Unpaid care for Central Coast (C) (NSW). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
Unpaid care for Central Coast (C) (NSW). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Greater Sydney.
Category20212016Change
Count%Greater Sydney%Count%Greater Sydney%Countpp
Total Provided Unpaid Assistance35,48812.5%10.6%33,60212.6%11.1%+1,886-0.1pp
Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided230,84581.2%83.2%210,72978.8%80.9%+20,116+2.4pp
Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated17,9156.3%6.2%22,9768.6%8.0%-5,061-2.3pp
Total284,248100.0%100.0%267,307100.0%100.0%+16,9410.0pp