Title page 1

Contents 4

Executive summary 13

1. Why the EU needs a comprehensive CARE Survey 16

2. Comparative analysis of the survey results 19

2.1. Informal childcare 19

2.1.1. Prevalence of childcare 20

2.1.2. Intensity of childcare 22

2.1.3. Involvement in specific childcare tasks 23

2.1.4. Perceptions of division of childcare in households 24

2.1.5. Unpaid childcare help received from relatives, friends or neighbours 25

2.1.6. Use of formal childcare services 27

2.1.7. Unmet needs for formal childcare services 29

2.2. Informal long-term care 33

2.2.1. Demographic profile of long-term care recipients 34

2.2.2. Prevalence of long-term care 37

2.2.3. Intensity of long-term care 38

2.2.4. Involvement in specific long-term care tasks 39

2.2.5. Perceptions of division of long-term care in households 41

2.2.6. Unpaid long-term care help received from relatives, friends or neighbours 42

2.2.7. Use of formal long-term care services 44

2.2.8. Unmet needs for formal long-term care services 45

2.2.9. Professional support and special leave for all informal care activities 48

2.3. Housework 49

2.3.1. Participation in housework 50

2.3.2. Intensity of housework 51

2.3.3. Involvement in specific housework activities 53

2.3.4. Perceptions of division of housework in households 54

2.3.5. Use of external services for housework 55

2.3.6. Undeclared income in external services 57

2.4. Work-life balance 59

2.4.1. Balancing work with care and housework responsibilities 59

2.4.2. Impact of care and housework on working life and career 62

2.5. Well-being and mental health 63

2.5.1. General health status 64

2.5.2. Emotional well-being and life satisfaction 65

2.5.3. Psychological distress and challenges 67

2.6. Leisure time activities 69

2.6.1. Prevalence of leisure activities 69

2.6.2. Frequency of engagement in leisure activities, such as cultural activities, holidays and hobbies 71

2.6.3. Frequency of engagement in health-enhancing physical activities, such as sports, jogging or cycling 72

2.7. Voluntary, charitable and political activities 73

2.7.1. Prevalence of voluntary, charitable and political activities 74

2.7.2. Frequency of engagement in voluntary, charitable and political activities 76

2.8. Transport, digitalisation and environment 77

2.8.1. Main modes of transport 78

2.8.2. Use of digital tools in unpaid care and housework activities 80

2.8.3. Sustainable consumption and behaviour 82

2.8.4. Use of environmentally friendly options in unpaid work and leisure activities 83

2.9. Gender attitudes towards unpaid care and housework 85

Conclusions 91

Annex 1: Survey methodology 93

Annex 2: Presentation of key demographics 95

Tables 10

Table 1. Key differences in approach between the first and second waves 93

Table 2. Gender of the respondents (frequency and %) 95

Table 3. Age distribution of the respondents (frequency and %) 96

Table 4. Educational level of the respondents (frequency and %) 96

Table 5. Disability status of the respondents (frequency and %) 96

Table 6. Country of birth of the respondents (frequency and %) 97

Table 7. Perceived degree of urbanisation of the area where the respondent lives (frequency and %) 103

Table 8. Social status of the respondents (frequency and %) 103

Table 9. Employment status of the respondents (frequency and %) 104

Table 10. Household composition of the respondents (frequency and %) 104

Table 11. Income distribution of the respondents (frequency and %) 105

Table 12. Sexual orientation of the respondents (frequency and %) 105

Figures 6

Figure 1. Provision of childcare for own children (aged 0-11) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 20

Figure 2. Provision of childcare for own children (aged 0-11) by income decile (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 21

Figure 3. Provision of childcare for other children (e.g. grandchildren, siblings, cousins) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 22

Figure 4. Provision of childcare for own children (aged 0-11) exceeding 35 hours per week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 23

Figure 5. Frequency of childcare activities (for own children aged 0-11) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 24

Figure 6. Perceived distribution of childcare duties (for own children aged 0-11) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 25

Figure 7. Frequency of receiving weekly unpaid help (from relatives, friends or neighbours) with childcare activities (%, 16- to 74-year-olds,... 26

Figure 8. Share of carers receiving weekly unpaid help (from relatives, friends or neighbours) with childcare activities by Member State... 26

Figure 9. Weekly unpaid help (from relatives, friends or neighbours) with childcare activities by age group (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 27

Figure 10. Use of formal early childhood education and care services for children aged 0-5 (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 28

Figure 11. Use of formal out-of-school-hours care services for children aged 6-11 (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 28

Figure 12. Use of formal early childhood and out-of-school-hours care services by household composition (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 29

Figure 13. Share of parents with unmet needs for formal early childhood education and out-of-school-hours care services (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 30

Figure 14. Share of parents with unmet needs for early childhood education and care services for children aged 0-5 by Member State... 31

Figure 15. Reasons for unmet needs for early childhood education and care services for children aged 0-5 (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 32

Figure 16. Reasons for unmet needs for formal out-of-school-hours care services for children aged 6-11 (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 33

Figure 17. Relationship between long-term carers and their main care recipient by sex of caregiver (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 35

Figure 18. Long-term care recipients, distribution by gender (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 35

Figure 19. Long-term care recipient age distribution by sex of the caregiver (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 36

Figure 20. Care recipient living arrangement distribution by sex of the caregiver (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 36

Figure 21. Care recipient living arrangement distribution by sex of the caregiver and Member State (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 37

Figure 22. Share of respondents providing informal long-term care at least once a week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 38

Figure 23. Provision of long-term care by number of hours per week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 39

Figure 24. Involvement in informal long-term tasks (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 40

Figure 25. Daily involvement in informal long-term tasks by age (years) (%, 16- to 74-year olds,EU-27, 2024) 41

Figure 26. Perceptions of the division of informal long-term care tasks between household partners (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 42

Figure 27. Share of long-term carers receiving weekly unpaid help (from relatives, friends or neighbours) with care activities for main care recipient... 43

Figure 28. Distribution of weekly unpaid help (from relatives, friends or neighbours) received with long-term care activities by age group (years)... 44

Figure 29. Share of informal long-term carers whose main care recipient uses formal care services at least weekly (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 45

Figure 30. Share of informal carers whose main care recipient had unmet needs for long-term care services (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 46

Figure 31. Share of informal carers whose main care recipient had unmet needs for long-term care services by degree of urbanisation... 47

Figure 32. Reasons for main care recipient's unmet needs for long-term care services by sex of the informal carer (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 48

Figure 33. Professional support and special leave received for care activities over the last 12 months (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 49

Figure 34. Engagement in housework at least four days a week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 50

Figure 35. Engagement in housework by age group (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 51

Figure 36. Engagement in housework by hours per week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 52

Figure 37. Intensity of engagement in housework by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 53

Figure 38. Frequency of housework tasks (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 54

Figure 39. Perception of division of housework activities between partners within the household (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 55

Figure 40. Reliance on external services for housework (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, 2024) 56

Figure 41. Reliance on external services for housework by income decile (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 57

Figure 42. Respondents' awareness of undeclared income among service providers (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 58

Figure 43. Respondents' awareness of undeclared income among service providers by Member State (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 58

Figure 44. Difficulties combining paid work with childcare responsibilities and housework (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 60

Figure 45. Difficulties combining work with childcare responsibilities by age (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 60

Figure 46. Difficulties combining work with childcare responsibilities by household type (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 61

Figure 47. Difficulties combining paid work with housework by age (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 62

Figure 48. Implications of caring responsibilities for working life or career (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 63

Figure 49. Self-perceived general health (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 65

Figure 50. Emotional well-being and life satisfaction over the past two weeks (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 66

Figure 51. Emotional well-being (feeling fresh and rested) over the past two weeks by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 67

Figure 52. Feelings of psychological distress and challenges over the past two weeks (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 68

Figure 53. Respondents feeling particularly tense all or most of the time over the past two weeks by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds,... 68

Figure 54. Frequency of involvement in leisure activities (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 70

Figure 55. Frequency of involvement in leisure activities by age group (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 70

Figure 56. Frequency of involvement in leisure activities by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 71

Figure 57. Time spent on leisure activities (e.g. cultural activities, holidays, hobbies) by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 72

Figure 58. Time spent on health-enhancing physical activities by type of informal care and sex (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 73

Figure 59. Involvement in voluntary, charitable or political activities at least one day per week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 75

Figure 60. Involvement in voluntary, charitable or political activities by age group (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 75

Figure 61. Weekly involvement in voluntary, charitable or political activities by type of informal care (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 76

Figure 62. Time spent on voluntary, charitable or political activities outside paid work (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 77

Figure 63. Most frequently used means of transport in a typical week (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 78

Figure 64. Use of car, walking and public transport as the most common means of transport in a typical week by age group (years)... 79

Figure 65. Use of car, public transport and walking as the most common means of transport in a typical week by degree of urbanisation... 80

Figure 66. Frequency of use of digital tools in childcare, long-term care and housework activities (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 81

Figure 67. Weekly use of digital tools in childcare, long-term care and housework activities by age group (years) (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 82

Figure 68. Frequency of engagement in sustainable consumption practices (%, 16- to 74-year-olds, EU-27, 2024) 83

Figure 69. Frequency of use of environmentally friendly options in childcare, long-term care, housework and leisure activities (%, 16- to 74-year-olds,... 84

Figure 70. Regular use of environmentally friendly options in childcare, long-term care, housework and leisure activities by age group (years)... 85

Figure 71. Degree of agreement with the statement 'in general, fathers are as well suited to look after their children as mothers' by age group (years)... 87

Figure 72. Degree of agreement with the statement 'when the child is ill, fathers and mothers should equally share the responsibility of taking... 87

Figure 73. Degree of agreement with the statement 'it is good for family well-being when fathers and mothers equally share parental leave'.. 88

Figure 74. Degree of agreement with the statement 'if childcare services are not available, mothers should stay at home with the child and... 89

Figure 75. Degree of agreement with the statement 'women should make most of the decisions on how to run a household (planning and... 89

Figure 76. Degree of agreement with the statement 'it is more important for women than for men to choose jobs that are flexible enough to take... 90

Boxes 10

Box 1. Childcare: definition and scope 19

Box 2. Long-term care: definition and scope 33

Box 3. Housework: definition and scope 49

Box 4. Work-life balance: definition and scope 59

Box 5. Well-being and mental health: definition and scope 63

Box 6. Leisure: definition and scope 69

Box 7. Voluntary, charitable and political activities: definition and scope 74

Box 8. Transport, digitalisation and environment: definition and scope 77

Box 9. Gender attitudes and roles: definition and scope 85