Extracted: Family Caregiving in an Aging America – Topline

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2025 PEW RESEARCH CENTER’S AMERICAN TRENDS PANEL
Wave 178: Survey on Aging
September 2-8, 2025

TOPLINE
N=8,750

Note: All numbers are percentages unless otherwise noted. Percentages less than 0.5% are replaced by an asterisk (*). A hyphen (-) indicates that the sample size for a given subgroup is too small to report for that question. Rows/columns may not total 100% due to rounding.

“No answer” includes web respondents who do not answer the question as well as telephone respondents who refuse to answer or who say they don’t know how to answer. In cases where “not sure” was offered as an explicit option to web and telephone respondents, the “no answer” category includes only web skips and telephone refusals.

This survey was conducted primarily online, with some interviews conducted by live telephone. This topline shows the programming language for online administration. For details on how questions were slightly modified for phone administration, visit the questionnaire.

American Trends Panel surveys conducted between October 2016 and June 2024 were conducted fully online (with tablets and data plans provided to adults without home internet).

PN = Programming note

	Sample size	Margin of error at 95% confidence level
All adults	8,750	+/- 1.4 percentage points
Under 65	6,156	+/- 1.6 percentage points
65 and older	2,582	+/- 2.4 percentage points

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED

AGINGPAR

[ PN: DO NOT RANDOMIZE ITEMS ]

ASK ALL:

Do you have a living parent in any of the following age ranges?

		Yes, one	Yes, more than one	No	No answer
a.	Age 64 or younger Sep 2-8, 2025	14	17	63	6
b.	Age 65 to 74 Sep 2-8, 2025	14	10	68	7
c.	Age 75 or older Sep 2-8, 2025	16	7	70	7

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SPOUSEAGE

ASK IF MARRIED OR LIVING WITH A PARTNER (X_MARITAL=1,2) [n=5,686]:¹

Is your spouse or partner…

	Sep 2-8, 2025
Age 18 to 49	49
Age 50 to 64	28
Age 65 to 74	14
Age 75 or older	9
No answer	*

[ PN: SHOW CAREGIVER_P AND CAREGIVER_S ON SAME SCREEN; DO NOT RANDOMIZE ]

DISPLAY IF HAVE A LIVING PARENT 65 OR OLDER OR A SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 OR OLDER (AGINGPAR_b=1,2 OR AGINGPAR_c=1,2 OR SPOUSEAGE=3,4):

Caregiving comes in many different forms, from assisting with personal needs like bathing and dressing to helping with household chores or managing finances or medical care. Thinking about your current situation…

CAREGIVER_P

ASK IF HAVE A LIVING PARENT 65 OR OLDER (AGINGPAR_b=1,2 OR AGINGPAR_c=1,2) [n=3,855]:

Do you consider yourself to be a caregiver for a parent age 65 or older?

	Sep 2-8, 2025
Yes	24
No	76
No answer	*

CAREGIVER_S

ASK IF HAVE A SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 OR OLDER (SPOUSEAGE=3,4) [n=1,600]:

Do you consider yourself to be a caregiver for your spouse or partner?

	Sep 2-8, 2025
Yes	25
No	75
No answer	–

[ PN: SHOW AGINGPARFIN AND ADCHILDFIN ON SAME SCREEN; DO NOT RANDOMIZE ]

¹ MARITAL asked in a prior survey.

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AGINGPARFIN

ASK IF HAVE A LIVING PARENT 65 OR OLDER (AGINGPAR_b=1,2 OR AGINGPAR_c=1,2) [n=3,855]:

During the past 12 months, have you given any financial support to a parent age 65 or older?

Sep 2-8, 2025	%
Yes	26
No	74
No answer	*

ADCHILDFIN

ASK IF PARENT OF CHILD 18+ (X_ADULTCHILD=1) [n=4,725]:²

During the past 12 months, have you given any financial support to any of your adult children ages 18 and older?

	Yes	No	No answer
Sep 2-8, 2025	56	44	*
Oct 18-24, 2021	56	43	1

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED

CAREPOLICY

ASK ALL:
[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1 IN SAME ORDER AS KIDSPOLICY, HOLDING 6 AND 99 LAST; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION AND ROTATION IN DATA FILE ]

Would you favor or oppose the federal government doing each of the following for people who are providing care for an aging family member?

	Strongly favor	Somewhat favor	Neither favor nor oppose	Somewhat oppose	Strongly oppose	Not sure	No answer
a. Providing tax credits to offset the cost of caregiving
Sep 2-8, 2025	45	32	9	3	2	8	*
b. Providing direct payments to offset the cost of caregiving
Sep 2-8, 2025	35	28	14	7	5	10	*
c. Requiring employers to provide paid family leave
Sep 2-8, 2025	44	25	13	5	4	8	*

² ADULTCHILD asked in a prior survey.

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CAREPOLICY CONTINUED…

	Strongly favor	Somewhat favor	Neither favor nor oppose	Somewhat oppose	Strongly oppose	Not sure	No answer
d. Paying for short-term care for aging adults to provide temporary relief for family caregivers
Sep 2-8, 2025	39	32	12	5	3	9	*

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED

PN: CREATE DOV_PARSP FOR MODULE ASSIGNMENT WHERE 1 = “PARENT”, 2 = “SPOUSE” AND 3 = “DON’T HAVE SPOUSE/PARTNER OR PARENT 65 AND OLDER

DOV_PARSP=1 WHEN (AGINGPAR_b=1,2 OR AGINGPAR_c=1,2) AND (SPOUSEAGE=1,2,98,99 OR X_MARITAL=3,4,5,6,99)

DOV_PARSP=2 WHEN (AGINGPAR_b=3,98,99 AND AGINGPAR_c=3,98,99) AND SPOUSEAGE=3,4

RANDOMLY ASSIGN VALUES 1-2 TO DOV_PARSP WHEN (AGINGPAR_b=1,2 OR AGINGPAR_c=1,2) AND SPOUSEAGE=3,4

DOV_PARSP=3 WHEN (AGINGPAR_b=3,98,99 AND AGINGPAR_c=3,98,99) AND (SPOUSEAGE=1,2,98,99 OR X_MARITAL=3,4,5,6,99)

RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE PARENT(S) 65 AND OLDER BUT DO NOT HAVE SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER SHOULD RECEIVE THE AGING PARENTS MODULE; RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER BUT DO NOT HAVE PARENTS(S) 65 AND OLDER SHOULD RECEIVE THE AGING SPOUSE MODULE; RESPONDENTS WITH BOTH PARENT(S) 65 AND OLDER AND SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER SHOULD BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE AGING PARENT MODULE OR THE AGING SPOUSE MODULE. RESPONDENTS WHO DO NOT HAVE PARENT(S) 65 AND OLDER OR HAVE A SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER SHOULD NOT RECEIVE EITHER MODULE.

[ PN: AGING PARENTS MODULE BEGINS HERE ]

DISPLAY IF HAVE PARENT(S) 65 AND OLDER AND SELECTED TO RECEIVE AGING PARENTS MODULE (DOV_PARSP=1):

Now thinking about your parent(s) ages 65 and older…

PARNEED

ASK IF HAVE PARENT(S) 65 AND OLDER AND SELECTED TO RECEIVE AGING PARENTS MODULE (DOV_PARSP=1) [n=3,711]:

[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION IN DATA FILE ]

Do any of your parents ages 65 and older need help with each of the following?

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PARNEED CONTINUED…

	Yes	No	No answer
a. Errands, housework or home repairs Sep 2-8, 2025	53	47	*
b. Personal care, such as bathing or dressing Sep 2-8, 2025	17	82	*
c. Managing their finances, such as budgeting or paying bills on time Sep 2-8, 2025	31	69	*
d. Managing their health care, such as medical appointments or medication Sep 2-8, 2025	38	61	*

PARHELP

ASK IF THEIR PARENTS NEED ANY HELP WITH ANY TASK (PARNEED_a-d=1) [n=2,153]:

[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS IN SAME ORDER AS PARNEED; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-3/3-1, HOLDING 98 AND 99 LAST; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION AND ROTATION IN DATA FILE ]

How often do you help any of your parents ages 65 and older with each of the following?

	On a regular basis	From time to time	Hardly ever or never	No answer
a. ASK IF THEIR PARENT(S) NEED HELP WITH ERRANDS (PARNEED_a=1) [n=1,934]: Errands, housework or home repairs Sep 2-8, 2025	35	44	20	*
b. ASK IF THEIR PARENT(S) NEED HELP WITH PERSONAL CARE (PARNEED_b=1) [n=598]: Personal care, such as bathing or dressing Sep 2-8, 2025	30	33	37	*
c. ASK IF THEIR PARENT(S) NEED HELP WITH FINANCES (PARNEED_c=1) [n=1,059]: Managing their finances, such as budgeting or paying bills on time Sep 2-8, 2025	43	35	22	0
d. ASK IF THEIR PARENT(S) NEED HELP WITH HEALTH CARE (PARNEED_d=1) [n=1,342]: Managing their health care, such as medical appointments or medication Sep 2-8, 2025	37	40	23	*

CAREPARIMP

ASK IF PROVIDING HELP TO PARENTS AT LEAST FROM TIME TO TIME WITH ANY TYPE OF HELP (PARHELP_a-d=1,2) [n=1,793]:

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[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1 IN SAME ORDER AS FEWERKIDS, HOLDING 98 AND 99 LAST; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION AND ROTATION IN DATA FILE ]

In general, what kind of impact has providing help to your parent(s) had on each of the following?

	Very positive	Somewhat positive	Neither positive nor negative	Somewhat negative	Very negative	No answer
a. Your physical health Sep 2-8, 2025	9	15	57	17	3	*
b. Your emotional well-being Sep 2-8, 2025	15	21	36	23	5	0
c. Your social life Sep 2-8, 2025	8	12	59	17	4	1
d. Your financial situation Sep 2-8, 2025	7	13	56	20	4	*
e. ASK IF EMPLOYED (EMPLSIT=1-2) [n=1,306]: Your job or career Sep 2-8, 2025	9	11	64	15	2	*
f. ASK IF MARRIED OR LIVING WITH PARTNER (X_MARITAL=1-2) [n=1,187]: Your relationship with your spouse or partner Sep 2-8, 2025	14	18	53	14	2	*
g. Your relationship with your parent(s) Sep 2-8, 2025	30	31	27	11	1	0

[ PN: AGING SPOUSE MODULE BEGINS HERE ]

DISPLAY IF HAVE SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER AND SELECTED TO RECEIVE AGING SPOUSE MODULE (DOV_PARSP=2):

Now thinking about your spouse or partner…

SPOUSENEED

ASK IF HAVE SPOUSE OR PARTNER 65 AND OLDER AND SELECTED TO RECEIVE AGING SPOUSE MODULE (DOV_PARSP=2) [n=1,454]:

[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION IN DATA FILE ]

Thinking about your spouse’s or partner’s ability to do a number of household and personal tasks, do they need help doing each of the following?

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SPOUSENEED CONTINUED…

	Yes	No	No answer
a. Errands, housework or home repairs Sep 2-8, 2025	30	69	1
b. Personal care, such as bathing or dressing Sep 2-8, 2025	11	89	*
c. Managing their finances, such as budgeting or paying bills on time Sep 2-8, 2025	24	75	*
d. Managing their health care, such as medical appointments or medication Sep 2-8, 2025	24	76	1

SPOUSEHELP

ASK IF SPOUSE OR PARTNER NEEDS ANY HELP (SPOUSENEED_a-d=1) [n=573]:
[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS IN SAME ORDER AS SPOUSENEED; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-3/3-1, HOLDING 98 AND 99 LAST; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION AND ROTATION IN DATA FILE ]

How often do you help your spouse or partner with each of the following?

	On a regular basis	From time to time	Hardly ever or never	No answer
a. ASK IF THEIR SPOUSE/PARTNER NEED HELP WITH ERRANDS (SPOUSENEED_a=1) [n=440]: Errands, housework or home repairs Sep 2-8, 2025	69	23	8	0
b. ASK IF THEIR SPOUSE/PARTNER NEED HELP WITH PERSONAL CARE (SPOUSENEED_b=1) [n=142]: Personal care, such as bathing or dressing Sep 2-8, 2025	51	17	33	0
c. ASK IF THEIR SPOUSE/PARTNER NEED HELP WITH FINANCES (SPOUSENEED_c=1) [n=349]: Managing their finances, such as budgeting or paying bills on time Sep 2-8, 2025	75	13	12	0
d. ASK IF THEIR SPOUSE/PARTNER NEED HELP WITH HEALTH CARE (SPOUSENEED_d=1) [n=333]: Managing their health care, such as medical appointments or medication Sep 2-8, 2025	64	22	14	0

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CARESPIMP

ASK IF PROVIDING HELP TO SPOUSE OR PARTNER AT LEAST FROM TIME TO TIME WITH ANY TYPE OF HELP (SPOUSEHELP_a-d=1,2) [n=541]:

[ PN: RANDOMIZE ITEMS; ROTATE RESPONSE OPTIONS 1-5/5-1 IN SAME ORDER AS FEWERKIDS, HOLDING 98 AND 99 LAST; INCLUDE RANDOMIZATION AND ROTATION IN DATA FILE ]

In general, what kind of impact has providing help to your spouse or partner had on each of the following?

	Very positive	Somewhat positive	Neither positive nor negative	Somewhat negative	Very negative	No answer
a. Your physical health Sep 2-8, 2025	11	22	50	13	2	1
b. Your emotional well-being Sep 2-8, 2025	19	21	36	18	4	*
c. Your social life Sep 2-8, 2025	12	20	50	15	4	*
d. Your financial situation Sep 2-8, 2025	17	16	52	11	3	1
e. ASK IF EMPLOYED (EMPLSIT=1-2): Your job or career Sep 2-8, 2025	RESPONSES NOT SHOWN DUE TO SMALL SAMPLE SIZE
f. Your relationship with your spouse or partner Sep 2-8, 2025	30	20	36	10	3	*

[ PN: AGING SPOUSE MODULE ENDS HERE ]

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED

PARTY

In politics today, do you consider yourself a:

PARTYLN

ASK IF INDEP/SOMETHING ELSE (PARTY=3,4) OR MISSING [n=3,319]:

As of today do you lean more to…³

Republican	Democrat	Independent	Something else	No answer	Lean Rep	Lean Dem
29	28	27	14	2	17	19

³ PARTY and PARTYLN asked in a prior survey.

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