Unveiling the Hidden Workforce: Norway’s Informal Carers Contribute €5.5 Billion Annually

A recent report by Menon Economics, commissioned by the Norwegian Alliance for Carers (Pårørendealliansen), has shed light on the immense economic value of informal caregiving in Norway.

The study estimates that in 2024, unpaid carers will contribute services worth approximately NOK 63 billion (€5.5 billion), equivalent to the annual salaries of 100,000 nurses.

The Burden on Adult Carers

Norway has around 800,000 adult informal carers who provide essential support to family members with various needs. The largest group of carers are parents to children with special need, carers for frail elderly, carers for mental health and addiction an carers for persons with chronic illness or conditions.

The report is build up on the National carers surveys done as a result of the Norwegian carer strategy 2021-2025.

These carers often sacrifice personal time, health and employment opportunities. The report highlights that:

• 72% of the total societal cost of caregiving is carried by the carers themselves primarily
• The highest costs are on lost free time due to double obligations (unpaid care work in free time)
• reduced health-related quality of life.
• loss of 15 800 FTEs per year due to falling out of work or reducing hours
• a gender perspective since almost 70 % of the carers are women
• women report putting in more hours in care then men

The loss is equivalent to 2.2 % of the total Norwegian GDP – but not visible in it .

Impact on Young Carers

The report also brings attention to the challenges faced by young carers. It is estimated that 300 000 children and adolescents up to 18 years in Norway are young carers.

Particularly concerning is the impact on children and adolescents who grow up as carers—many of them supporting parents or siblings with mental health or substance use challenges. About 10 per cent of these children face the risk of long-term marginalization and exclusion

The costs of this for this group of young carers could amount to €2.3 billion (NOK 26.3 billion) annually.

These young people often live with a chronic sense of responsibility and isolation, which can undermine their educational attainment, social development, and future job prospects. They will remain outsiders from young age if no actions are taken to identify and supprt them.

A Call for Comprehensive Carer Policies

– Finally we have the numbers on a national level for the often invisible care that informal carers contribute with to society.» says Anita Vatland, General secretary for the Norwegian alliance for informal carers (Pårørendealliansen)

• There is a shift in Norway now, going from LTC in formal institutions to long term care at home. Both hospital at home and ageing at home is the official policy now.
• When we are a society where up to 70 % of the adults are in paid work, sending the old and the ill people to be cared for at home, will impact on the population of working partners, grown children and parents of

The findings underscore the need for comprehensive policies that recognize and support informal carers and also help them to combine work and care.

• This report reframes informal caregiving and showing that transforming the policies from official care over to home care and informal care, put a strain on individuals first, and then impacts big with economic and social weight all together.

Pårørendealliansen will use the report to advocate for better policies and support for carers of all ages and in every phase of life, and in the sectors that needs awareness and solutions.

For more information and to access the full report, please visit Pårørendealliansen’s website /kunnskap or contact Anita Vatland ava@parorendealliansen.no

Photo, from the left: Anne Grethe Terjesen and Anita Vatland Pårørendealliansen), the Minister of Health and Care Jan Christian Vestre and Robin Andreassen (Pårørendealliansen) at the presentation of the report April 28th