Scotland's Carers 2026: main report

5. Duration of care

5.1 Key points

• The SHeS reports that people are more likely to provide unpaid care for between 1 and 5 years (6% of the 16+ population) than any other caring duration.
• Women are more likely to provide care across all durations than men, with the exception of those providing care for between 10-20 years, where the proportion was similar for men and women (both 2%).
• The overall decrease in the proportion of people providing care between 2012-2013 (17%) and 2019-2023 (15%) appears to be driven primarily by a reduction in those providing care for less than 1 year, and between 5 and 10 years.

The census does not contain an equivalent question on the duration of caring, therefore the analysis presented in this section is based solely on SHeS data.

5.2 SHeS 2019-2023

The SHeS 2019-2023 illustrates that the largest group of carers aged 16+ is those that have been providing care for between 1 and 5 years (6% of the 16+ population). There are significantly more carers that have provided care for between 1 and 5 years, than for any other duration. Similar proportions were seen for carers that had provided less than a year of care, and those who had been providing care for 20 years or more (both 1%).

Figure 11: Carers are most likely to provide care for between 1 and 5 years, whereas shorter- and longer-term caring roles are comparatively rare.

The proportion of the population aged 16+ providing different durations of care, Scotland-level data from the SHeS 2019-2023.

This pattern highlights that caring is most frequently comprised of medium duration roles, whereas smaller proportions provide care for very short or extended periods.

5.3 Duration of care by sex

When considering sex differences in the duration of care provided, the SHeS suggests that women were more likely than men to have provided most durations of care, with the largest difference being for those providing care for between 1 and 5 years, with 8% of women and 5% of men.

The only exception is for those providing care for between 10 and 20 years, where the proportion was similar for women and men (both 2%).

Figure 12: Women are more likely to provide care for most durations, with the most pronounced difference seen in those caring for between 1 and 5 years. No significant difference was seen between men and women for those caring for between 10 and 20 years.

The proportion of the population aged 16+ providing different durations of care, broken down by sex, Scotland-level data from the SHeS 2019-2023.

Note: although the chart presents the rounded proportion of both men and women providing care for 20 years or more (1% for both sexes), there is a statistically significant difference between the unrounded figures, where women are more likely to provide care for this duration than men.

Taken together, and consistent with more general differences by sex seen across caring roles, the findings highlight that women are more likely than men to take on caring roles across nearly all durations – though the gap narrows for those caring between 10 and 20 years.

5.4 Duration of care over time

There are significantly fewer people providing care in the SHeS 2019-2023 compared to 2012-2013, resulting in an overall reduction across some care-duration categories. Significant decreases are seen among those providing care for less than one year, and between 5 and 10 years. A small decrease is also observed in those providing between 1 and 5 years of care, though this difference is not statistically significant. There is also broad stability in the proportion of people providing care for between 10-20 years, and 20+ years.

Figure 13: Between 2012-2013 and 2019-2023, the proportion of carers providing different durations of care has remained broadly stable, with significant decreases seen for those providing care for less than 1 year, and between 5 and 10 years.

The proportion of the population aged 16+ providing different durations of care, comparing Scotland-level data from the SHeS 2012-2013 and SHeS 2019-2023.

This suggests that the overall decline in carer numbers may be driven by a reduction in shorter‑term caring roles, while those providing longer‑term care for a decade or more appear to remain comparatively stable. Conceivably, this could relate to individuals providing care for a cohabiting partner, where caring responsibilities are more sustained and less susceptible to shorter‑term fluctuations. These longer‑term arrangements may be more likely to persist regardless of broader changes in caring patterns, which may help explain the relative stability seen in these groups.