The 2025 Carer Wellbeing Survey is open
We invite carers across Australia to share their experiences in the annual Carer Wellbeing Survey.
It is voluntary, confidential, and anonymous.
The survey has been developed by the University of Canberra’s WellRes Unit, Health Research Institute, Department of Social Services, and Carers Australia. This year, in addition to asking about your caring role, we seek your input accessing respite care, being a young carer or a carer in a defence family, and life after a caring role ends.
*The survey closing date has been extended to 30 April 2025 to accommodate those affected by Cyclone Alfred and allow them more time to participate.
Take part in the survey.
If you prefer a paper survey or need assistance, you can reach the University of Canberra at 1800 981 499 (Monday to Friday, 9 am–4:30 pm AEST. By completing the survey on or before 30 April 2025, participants aged 14 or older can enter a prize draw, featuring prizes with financial rewards. Full terms and details are included in the survey.
Thank you for taking the time to share your story — your voice truly makes a difference.
Click the button below to read past reports. If you would like a high-resolution copy of reports, please email us: [email protected]
Carer Wellbeing Survey Reports
About the Carer Wellbeing Survey
The Carer Wellbeing Survey asks people to share their experiences – past and present – of being a carer and the support services they use, including the Australian Government Carer Gateway. Participants can choose if they would like to complete a long or short version of the Survey and it is available in English, simplified Chinese, Arabic, Italian and Vietnamese.
The survey was designed in collaboration between the University of Canberra, the Department of Social Services, and Carers Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carers take the responsibility of providing unpaid care to family, friends, and loved ones all across Australia. Carers are often presented challenging and complex caring duties. Therefore, researchers and advocates need to know more about how to support the wellbeing of carers, ensuring they have a high quality of life while providing quality of life to the people they care for. The Carer Wellbeing Survey is addressing this gap; it seeks to build a comprehensive picture of the wellbeing of carers overtime, and how carers can best be supported.
The Survey is open to anyone over the age of 14 years who identifies as a carer – both currently caring or has been a carer in the past.
A carer is a person who looks after someone who has a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, dementia, terminal or serious illness; or who is frail or needs care due to ageing. Caring is not their employment, but done as a family member or friend.
This includes carers:
- Who have their own care needs
- Who are in multiple care relationships
- Who have employment and/or education commitments
- Aged under 25 years (young carers)
- Aged over 65 years, including ‘grandparent carers’
- From culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- Who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI+)
- Who are living in rural and remote Australia, and
- Who are no longer in a caring role (former carers).
Taking part will help us better understand how many people are providing different forms of care across Australia, and better understand the needs of carers.
This information will be used by Carers Australia to support our work advocating for carers across Australia, and by the Department of Social Services in understanding whether Carer Gateway services are appropriately reaching carers.
For information about how your privacy is protected, and further details about the funding and conduct of this project, please see the Information Sheet available through the survey link.
You can call the research team at the University of Canberra on 1800 981 499, or email via [email protected]. You can also contact Carers Australia.
Roughly 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type and level of care that is being provided.
All participants over the age of 14 who complete the survey prior to closing on 18 April 2025 will be eligible to enter the draw to win a prize, as specified on the pages of the survey.
All prizes will be drawn at 2pm on 21 April 2025 at the Health Research Institute, Building 23, University Drive South, Bruce, ACT, 2617. Winners will be notified in writing, by email or post, within five working days of the prize draw.