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 Karratha (C), accounting for 75.5% (12,496 people). This share was lower than Regional WA (77.9%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid care, which decreased by 102 people and 2.4 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid care

Karratha (C) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid care for Karratha (C) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional WA and change since 2016.

Unpaid care snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Karratha (C), with comparison markers for Regional WA.

Karratha (C)
Regional WA

Total Provided Unpaid Assistance

2021 count

965

% of total

5.8%

Change from 2016

+0.1pp

Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided

2021 count

12,496

% of total

75.5%

Change from 2016

-2.4pp

Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated

2021 count

3,094

% of total

18.7%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Data table

Unpaid care for Karratha (C). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.

Unpaid care for Karratha (C). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Unpaid care for Karratha (C). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional WA.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional WA%Count%Regional WA%Countpp
Total Provided Unpaid Assistance9655.8%10.4%9275.7%9.5%+38+0.1pp
Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided12,49675.5%77.9%12,59877.9%77.5%-102-2.4pp
Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated3,09418.7%11.7%2,64216.3%13.0%+452+2.4pp
Total16,560100.0%100.0%16,164100.0%100.0%+3960.0pp