Caregivers in NZ are more likely to be female (63%), with a median age of 49yrs and the largest age bracket being in the 50–54-year band (Welfare Expert Advisory Group, 2019). From the 2013 census, there were ~430,000 unpaid carers in NZ, 13% of the adult population (Grimmond, 2014). Ethnicity of carers generally reflects proportions of the population, but there is some evidence that Māori and Pacific provide more unpaid care to household members. A higher proportion of Europeans provide care to non-household members (Grimmond, 2014).

There is poor data on a number of subgroups of the carer population, with the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) noting insufficient data, and/or a likely undercount of:

• Younger carers,
• Older carers who look after partners, or grandparents caring for grandchildren,
• Patterns of caregiving amongst those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds,
• LGBT carers (Welfare Expert Advisory Group, 2019).

References:

Grimmond D. (2014). The economic value and impacts of informal care in New Zealand. New Zealand Infometrics. Available from: https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/auckland/about-us/equity-at-the-university/equity-information-staff/information-for-carers/The%20economic%20value%20of%20informal%20care%20in%20New%20Zealand%20Final%20copy.pdf

Welfare Expert Advisory Group. (2019). Current state: Carers of people with health conditions or disabilities. Wellington: Welfare Expert Advisory Group. Available from: http://www.weag.govt.nz/assets/documents/WEAG-report/background-documents/9513d6b9b0/Carers-of-HCD-010419.pdf.