U.S. caregivers paid an average of $11,508 from their own funds in 2026, a 59% increase from five years earlier that adds to the financial weight of caring for a relative or friend, AARP found.
The figure comes from AARP’s 2026 Caregiving Out-of-Pocket Costs Study. The group’s earlier 2021 survey recorded average annual spending of $7,242. AARP puts the inflation-adjusted 2021 average at roughly $9,100 in 2026 dollars, below the 2026 average.
AARP cautioned that the two results are not directly comparable. The 2021 study took place during the pandemic, when access to services and spending patterns differed. For the 2026 study, AARP added expense questions and expanded descriptions of existing categories, changes that may have influenced what participants recalled and reported.
Caregiving costs averaged 31% of household income. For caregivers in households earning under $40,000 annually, average out-of-pocket spending was $11,448—near the overall average and equal to 76% of household income. Housing and household expenses accounted for 42% of reported spending, and medical costs made up another 29%.
The study’s analytic sample included 2,538 caregivers. AARP conducted its recruiting survey from June 2-29, 2026, and the expense diary portion ran from June 11-July 9.
AARP reported that 65% of employed caregivers had changes at work related to care, including schedule adjustments, missed work or additional work. The organization supports the bipartisan Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act, which would allow people with flexible spending or health savings accounts to use those funds for qualifying medical expenses for a parent or parent-in-law.
