Carers are an important group in our society. Normally relatives, they provide support, on an unpaid basis, for thousands of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. This research update presents data from the 2001Northern Ireland Household Panel Survey (NIHPS) on the characteristics and circumstances of carers in Northern Ireland. The extent of caring The first point to emerge from the data is that a significant proportion of the adult population in Northern Ireland provide support and assistance for someone who needs help; 16% of respondents identify themselves as carers. In other words, approximately one adult in every six has caring responsibilities. Over one third (38%) of carers assist someone living in the same household, more that half (55%) assist someone in another household, while 7% assist someone in their own household and someone in another household.