Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation – Unlocking the Economic Power of Caregiving in Canada 

Across Canada, more than 13 million people provide unpaid care to individuals living with illness, disability, or age-related changes in support needs (Statistics Canada, 2024). Most caregivers (67%) are caring for someone over the age of 65, and with dementia rates rising, this will only compound the challenge of caregiving (Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, 2026).  

Moreover, many middle-aged adults, often called the “sandwich generation,” are raising children while caring for aging parents. These overlapping responsibilities can be exhausting, leaving caregivers stretched thin and constantly balancing competing demands. This highlights the scale of their contribution: CCCE’s recent research report, Caring in Canada 2026, found that unpaid caregivers provide three hours of care for every hour delivered by formal health services, demonstrating how deeply healthcare systems depend on this invisible workforce.