Care
1 in 10 White and Indian people provide unpaid care
Carers: by ethnic group and time spent caring per week, April 2001, GB
Informal care
People from White British and White Irish backgrounds together with Indian people are most likely to be providing informal care, that is unpaid care to relatives, friends or neighbours. Ten per cent of each of these groups in Great Britain provided informal care in April 2001. Those least likely to be providing informal care were people from Mixed backgrounds (5.1 per cent), Black Africans (5.6 per cent) and the Chinese (5.8 per cent).
This pattern to some extent reflects the different age structures of the different ethnic groups, as informal care is most likely to be provided by people aged 50 to 60. The White groups have older age structures and are therefore more likely to both provide and need care.
The amount of time that people spend caring differs by ethnic group. Groups most likely to provide very substantial amounts of care (50 hours per week or more) tend to be the same groups who provide care in the first place. The White Irish (2.5 per cent), Bangladeshi (2.4 per cent), Pakistani (2.4 per cent) and White British (2.2 per cent) groups had the highest rates of spending 50 hours a week or more caring. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Other Asian groups had the highest rates of spending 20 to 49 hours a week caring (1.5 per cent or slightly more for each group).
In April 2001, 109,000 children under the age of 16 in Great Britain were providing some informal care. Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani children were the most likely to be carers, around 1.5 per cent of each group. Black African children were least likely to provide care, at 0.7 per cent. Among White British children, 0.9 per cent were providing some unpaid care.
Population in hospitals and other care establishments: by ethnic group, April 2001,GB
Residential care
In April 2001, 0.8 per cent of the population of Great Britain were resident in hospitals or other care establishments. This percentage varied greatly by ethnic group from 0.1 per cent among Bangladeshis and Pakistanis to 1.0 per cent among the White Irish group.
Sources: Census, April 2001, Office for National Statistics; Census, April 2001, General Register Office for Scotland
Notes:
Hospitals and other care establishments are as classified as 'Medical and Care establishments' in the 2001 Census: NHS Psychiatric hospitals/homes, other NHS hospitals/homes, Local Authority children's homes, LA nursing homes, LA residential care homes, other LA homes, Housing association homes or hostels, other nursing homes, other residential care homes, other children's homes, other psychiatric hospitals/homes, other hospitals and other medical and care homes.
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