Women in the United States spend an average of seven years over their lifetime caring for older family members and friends, compared to four years for men. A recent study in the Journals of Gerontology Series B shows this three-year gap has grown by a year since 2011. While men and women spend roughly equal time caring for spouses, women take on significantly more care for parents, extended family, and friends across every measured task.
Demographic projections suggest this disparity may widen further as the population ages and more adults reach later life without close kin. The study models lifetime expectations based on current rates, which means shifts in paid care availability or changing social norms could alter the trajectory. Even so, the baseline numbers quantify a structural burden that falls unevenly across households long before formal long-term care systems are engaged.
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