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 Tamworth Regional (A), accounting for 79.1% (39,850 people). This share was lower than Regional NSW (79.3%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not providing unpaid care, which increased by 3,387 people and 2.4 percentage points.

Section overview

Unpaid care

Tamworth Regional (A) - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)

This table summarises unpaid care for Tamworth Regional (A) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional NSW and change since 2016.

Unpaid care snapshot

2021 distribution by category for Tamworth Regional (A), with comparison markers for Regional NSW.

Tamworth Regional (A)
Regional NSW

Total Provided Unpaid Assistance

2021 count

6,449

% of total

12.8%

Change from 2016

+0.6pp

Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided

2021 count

39,850

% of total

79.1%

Change from 2016

+2.4pp

Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated

2021 count

4,065

% of total

8.1%

Change from 2016

-3.1pp

Data table

Unpaid care for Tamworth Regional (A). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.

Unpaid care for Tamworth Regional (A). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
Unpaid care for Tamworth Regional (A). Unpaid care. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional NSW.
Category20212016Change
Count%Regional NSW%Count%Regional NSW%Countpp
Total Provided Unpaid Assistance6,44912.8%13.1%5,78012.2%12.6%+669+0.6pp
Total No Unpaid Assistance Provided39,85079.1%79.3%36,46376.7%77.0%+3,387+2.4pp
Total Unpaid Assistance Not Stated4,0658.1%7.6%5,30711.2%10.3%-1,242-3.1pp
Total50,366100.0%100.0%47,550100.0%100.0%+2,8160.0pp