Lovejoy InstituteUnited States Reference Page
Current national figures on the people who provide care, the scale of loss, and the realities surrounding the end of life.
Last updated August 14, 2026
Latest source years: 2024 and 2025
A Practical Snapshot
These figures bring together the latest national data from public health and caregiving sources. They are here to support thoughtful conversations, writing, and educational work, not to replace personal medical, legal, financial, or hospice guidance.
Family Caregiving
Family caregivers often balance practical support, employment, financial pressure, and the changing needs of someone they love.
63 million
AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving define this group as adults caring for someone with a chronic, disabling, or serious health condition.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025Over 40%
The national report describes this care as involving substantial hands-on support and often complex tasks.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 20251 in 4
This figure reflects the financial strain reported in the 2025 national caregiving study.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 20257 in 10
Many caregivers balance paid work with the practical and emotional demands of supporting another person.
Source: AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025End-of-Life Context
These figures describe broad U.S. mortality patterns. Every person’s care, choices, and support network are different.
3,072,666
This is the latest final national mortality count reported by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 data890,240
The oldest age group represented the largest number of deaths in the national mortality table.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 data683,491
Heart disease was the leading cause of death in the United States that year.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 data116,022
The figure is part of the final national count of leading causes of death.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 2024 dataWhy These Figures Matter
National statistics cannot tell a family what to do. They can show the scale of a shared experience, make caregiving more visible, and help people recognize that preparation and support are not signs of giving up.
Lovejoy Institute offers education for people drawn to compassionate, non-medical support through its Death Doula Certification Program and Cognitive Continuity approach to everyday change.
Methodology and Sources
The statistics above are taken directly from the latest available source reports shown below. Each statistic links to its source and keeps the source year beside the figure. We will review this page regularly and update it when a core source releases newer data.
Suggested Citation
Lovejoy Institute. “Family Caregiving and End-of-Life Care Statistics.” Updated August 14, 2026. https://lovejoyinstitute.com/family-caregiving-end-of-life-statistics.
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