Unpaid work and care

Answers to these questions give us information about the amount of unpaid work people do, including:

• cleaning
• yard work
• other household activities
• helping family, friends or neighbours
• volunteering.

This information helps us understand how unpaid work contributes to Australian society, and to the economy. Because this work is unpaid, it often goes unmeasured. However, this work is extremely valuable and the Census is a way that we measure how much unpaid work people do.

These questions also help us work out how households:

• balance studying, working, and household tasks
• balance family and community commitments
• support people who provide unpaid care.

These questions are only asked of people aged 15 years and over.

(Q53 in the Census Household Form)

We ask this question to find out the amount of unpaid volunteer work a person has done over the past 12 months. This helps us understand how unpaid work contributes to Australian society, and to the economy.

This question is only asked of people aged 15 years and over. 

Include help voluntarily given in the form of time, service or skills to a club, organisation or association. Examples of unpaid voluntary work include:

• helping at organised events and with sports organisations
• helping with organised school events and activities
• helping in churches, hospitals, nursing homes and charities
• school students taking part in student government in their schools
• other kinds of volunteer work (for example, emergency services, serving on a committee for a club or community group).

Unpaid voluntary work does not include:

• work for a family business or other paid employment
• work done to get a government payment
• work done as part of completing study
• work done because of a court or community service order.

(Q54 in the Census Household Form)

We ask this question to find out how much time people spend on everyday tasks such as cooking, cleaning and gardening around the house that they don’t get paid for. This tells us how Australian individuals and families balance their time.

This question is only asked of people aged 15 years and over. 

Most people do some kind of unpaid work around the house.

Include any activities the person did without pay around their home and other places for themselves and their household.

Examples of unpaid domestic activities include:

• making and serving food, and cleaning up afterwards
• washing, ironing and managing clothes
• any other housework
• gardening, mowing and yard work
• home maintenance
• car or bike maintenance
• household shopping
• managing household financial affairs
• maintaining home internet connections and computer systems
• pet and animal care
• travel associated with unpaid domestic work.

Do not include:

• any household activities that were done as part of a paid job
• any unpaid care for children, elderly parents and people with long-term illness or disability. We ask about unpaid care in the next questions.

(Q55 in the Census Household Form)

Taking care of children is an extremely important contribution. This question tells us how many people look after children without being paid.

This could include:

• their own children
• grandchildren
• nieces
• nephews
• other relatives
• children of neighbours or friends.

We ask this question to find out how individuals and families balance their paid work with other parts of their life, such as family and community commitments.

This question is only asked of people aged 15 years and over. 

• Only include care for children who were less than 15 years of age.
• Select all applicable responses.
• Include the time the person spent looking after a child or children without being paid.
• Include care of the person's own children, whether they usually live with them or not. Also include grandchildren, the children of other relatives and children of friends or neighbours.
• Do not include care for a child given through an organisation or club. For example, if the person coaches a junior sporting team, or helps out at a school, then this is volunteering.

(Q56 in the Census Household Form)

We ask this question to find out about the unpaid help a person gives to someone who has a long-term health condition, has a disability or needs help to take care of themselves.

This information is used to:

• plan local facilities
• plan services such as occasional care
• give carers the support they need.

This question is only asked of people aged 15 years and over. 

• People who receive Carer Allowance or Carer Payment should select ‘Yes, provided unpaid care, help or assistance’.
• Occasional help or assistance, such as shopping, should only be included if the person needs this type of assistance because of their condition.
• Only include unpaid help because of disability, a long-term health condition or problems related to old age.
• A long-term health condition is one that has lasted or is likely to last for six months or more.
• Do not include work done through a voluntary organisation or group.
• Unpaid care can include:
  • bathing, dressing, toileting or feeding someone
  • helping someone to move around
  • helping someone to understand or be understood by others
  • helping someone with reading and writing tasks
  • providing emotional support to someone and helping them maintain friendships and social activities
  • helping with or supervising medication or dressing wounds
  • cleaning, laundry, cooking, managing diets and preparing meals
  • performing household chores, gardening, light property repairs or maintenance
  • managing household finances
  • driving or taking someone to appointments or activities.