In 2024, the ABS was funded to expand the Labour Account to provide estimates of the total hours spent on unpaid care and their monetary value. These measures improve the visibility of the contribution of unpaid care to society and the economy.
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1. Unpaid support goes beyond childcare
Unpaid care activities include not only childcare, but also the physical care of adults, travel, food preparation, shopping, general housework, household management, volunteer work and childcare. What a workload!
2. Carers create invisible income
The total value of unpaid care was $461.1 billion in the September quarter 2025 when using the individual replacement cost method. In comparison, the minimum wage rate method was valued at $306 billion in the September quarter 2025.
3. We’re spending more time providing a helping hand
We spent 12.3 billion hours on unpaid care activities in the September quarter 2025. This has been a steady increase since 2006, when people devoted 8.2 billion hours to unpaid care.
4. We’re looking after our community
There were 834.2 million hours spent on volunteering activities in the September quarter 2025, valued at $44.3 billion using the individual function replacement cost method. Volunteering activities can include helping your neighbour or contributing through formal organisations such as your local fire brigade or hospital.
5. Unpaid care is a tough balancing act
Carers who were also employed in paid work accounted for 66% of all unpaid care hours in the September quarter 2025. By comparison, 4% of unpaid care hours were taken on by unemployed carers, while 30% were taken on by carers not in the labour force.
Bonus Fact!
6. Australian households are working hard
Couple family households represented the most unpaid care hours in the September quarter 2025, having undertaken 75% of total hours spent. This was higher than one parent households (12%) and other households (13%).
Media notes
- The individual replacement cost method applies the wage for the equivalent occupation for each caring activity for the relevant demographic, at the time care activities were provided.
- To learn more about our different labour measures, their purpose and how to use them, see our Guide to labour statistics. It provides summary information on labour market topics including Industry employment data.
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