Latest Census statistics reveal there are 166,363 young carers in England, compared to around 139,000 in 2001. This is likely to be an under-representation of the true picture as many remain under the radar of professionals.

• One in 12 young carers is caring for more than 15 hours per week. Around one in 20 misses school because of their caring responsibilities.
• Young carers are 1.5 times more likely than their peers to have a special educational need or a disability.
• The average annual income for families with a young carer is £5,000 less than families who do not have a young carer.
• There is no strong evidence that young carers are more likely than their peers to come into contact with support agencies, despite government recognition that this needs to happen. Young carers have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level, the equivalent to nine grades lower overall than their peers e.g. the difference between nine Bs and nine Cs.
• Young carers are more likely than the national average to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) between the ages of 16 and 19.