One in ten residents in Madeira aged between 18 and 74 regularly provides care for a dependent family member aged 15 or over, a higher proportion than the national average of 7.1%.
The figures were released this Wednesday by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) as part of its Reconciliation of Professional and Family Life module, which examines the challenges families face in balancing employment with caregiving responsibilities.
According to the study, not only does Madeira have a higher proportion of caregivers compared to the rest of Portugal, but many also face a significant weekly commitment.
Among those caring for dependent relatives, 30.9% spend an average of 30 hours or more per week providing support, compared with 28% nationally. The figures highlight the growing pressure placed on many families, particularly as Madeira faces the challenges of an ageing population.
The report also found that 23.1% of Madeirans aged between 18 and 74 provide care for children under the age of 15, a figure close to the national average of 22.6%. However, caring for grandchildren in this age group is less common in the region, involving 3.7% of residents compared with 5.2% across Portugal.
When it comes to childcare services, Madeira records a lower level of use than the national average. Only 41.8% of respondents with children under 15 said they regularly use nurseries, kindergartens or similar services, compared with 51.6% nationally.
Among families who do not use formal childcare services, 10.8% reported that children are sometimes left unsupervised and look after themselves.
The difficulty of balancing employment and family responsibilities continues to be closely linked to working conditions.
Long working hours were identified by 11.1% of workers with caring responsibilities as one of the main barriers, while 11% pointed to unpredictable or irregular working schedules. Both figures are similar to the national average, showing that time management remains one of the greatest challenges facing working families.
The DREM study also examined parental leave. Among people aged 18 to 54 who were either employed or had previous work experience and had used parental leave, 21.7% interrupted their professional activity for one month or less, almost identical to the national figure of 21.8%.
The survey, carried out in 2025 as part of the Employment Survey, was designed to understand how professional and family responsibilities affect each other, as well as the difficulties families face when organising care for children and dependent relatives.
The results highlight a growing social challenge for Madeira: an ageing population, increasing reliance on informal caregivers, and the continuing struggle many residents face in balancing work, family life and caring responsibilities.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Views: 26
