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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWith an ageing population, growing pressure on NHS services, and hospitals short of beds,\u00a0more people than ever rely on domiciliary care services in the UK.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clinical home\u00a0care already saves the NHS around \u00a31.6 billion\u00a0a\u00a0year<\/a>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the equivalent of over 1.5 million bed days.\u00a0That’s a huge contribution, delivered person by person, visit by visit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, a 2025 report<\/a> by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) points out that while home care provides a lifeline for many people living with long-term, chronic conditions,\u00a0it\u2019ll\u00a0only work for the NHS if we \u201cinvest, modernise, and collaborate to improve the systems already in place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This matters even more when you look at the bigger picture. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK’s over-65 population is\u202fset to rise from 19% to 27% in the next 50 years<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting their needs isn’t just about more care \u2013 it’s about better care. Digitising home care services will give workers clearer information, reduce admin, and help patients feel confident they’re getting the right care for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below,\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0pulled together the latest UK domiciliary care statistics on market size, usage, workforce, recruitment, and more. And what they tell us us about the\u00a0real pressures facing the sector today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Insurance is one way of managing the challenges you face as a domiciliary care provider. Take a look at how we can support you with <\/em>advice and guidance on what you need<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A 2025 report found that adult social care (which includes home care)\u202fcontributes \u00a377.8 billion to the economy in England<\/a>\u202f\u2013 up by 12.2% since 2023\/24. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That means the domiciliary care industry (and the adult social care sector as a whole) contributes more to the economy than sectors like accommodation and food services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, because statistics are gathered by nation, the exact size of the UK domiciliary care market is hard to gauge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The following domiciliary care statistics should be treated as an estimate. You can find more info on each nation\u2019s home care regulatory body\u2019s website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s thought around 960,000 people receive domiciliary care in the UK. These include patients who are ill, elderly, have long-term medical issues, or have been discharged from hospital care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While most people access domiciliary care through their local authority, almost a quarter (23.5%) pay for it themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the\u202fnumbers of people receiving domiciliary care by nation<\/a>, according to recent estimates: <\/p>\n\n\n\n England \u2013 818,000 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Scotland \u2013 89,620 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wales \u2013 28,596 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Northern Ireland \u2013 23,248 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimated UK total \u2013 959,464 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The number of Care Quality Commission-registered (CQC) domiciliary care services in England has continued to grow from 8,414 in 2017 to 15,232 in 2025<\/a> \u2013 an increase of 81%. By contrast, residential CQC-regulated establishments, like care homes, decreased by 6.2%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While many patients find domiciliary care to be a convenient option, many apply for it because either they \u2013 or their families \u2013 can\u2019t afford the cost of living in a care home. Other social factors include long waiting lists for community care and the pressing need to free up NHS hospital beds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This tallies up with research by the ABPI<\/a>, which shows an increased uptake of home care services led to less A&E visits and hospital admissions. The case study focused on a group of just over 1800 people, half of which received home care and half of which didn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During the study, they tracked A&E visits for the group. 419 of these visits were from people who weren\u2019t receiving home care. The group receiving home care only accounted for 150. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospital admissions followed a similar trend, with 452 being tracked for non-home care users and only 169 for those receiving home care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Homecare Association highlighted long-term support living, or assisted living, as an area of growth, with around\u202f100,000 now people receiving this kind of care<\/a> through local authority funding in England. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are over 13,000 domiciliary care providers registered in the UK. This includes home care agencies that are contracted directly by local authorities, as well as independent providers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Different types of domiciliary care providers include those who specialise in \u2018hourly\u2019 or \u2018visiting\u2019 home care, supported living,\u202fassisted living<\/a>, or live-in care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each provides domiciliary care under their country\u2019s regulatory body eg the CQC in England or Care Inspectorate (CI) in Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Number of domiciliary care providers by UK nation in 20<\/em>25<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n England \u2013 12,266 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Scotland \u2013 783 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wales \u2013 392 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Northern Ireland \u2013 90 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimated UK total \u2013 13,531 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Around 700,000 people make up the UK\u2019s domiciliary care workforce. Here’s a rough breakdown, based on the most recently published data by each nation: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Number of domiciliary care workers by UK nation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n England \u2013\u202f595,000\u202f<\/a>(2025) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Scotland \u2013\u202f76,490<\/a>\u202f(2024) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Wales \u2013\u202f22,064<\/a>\u202f(2023)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Northern Ireland \u2013 14,439<\/a>\u202f(2022) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimated UK total \u2013 707,993<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unsurprisingly, the domiciliary care industry saw job vacancy rates rise significantly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, since 2021, vacancy rates have steadily fallen. In 2022,\u202fthey were at 12.9% and have continued to reduce to 9.9% in 2025<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The industry\u2019s employment turnover rate fell again in 2025, from 24.9% to 23.7%. It\u2019s been dropping year on year since 2021 and is much lower than the high of 35.6% in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This reduced turnover rate means that far less people have left their roles in domiciliary care over the past 12 months. In 2025, an estimated 128,000 workers left their role. This is much lower than the reported 390,000 in 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not all good news, though. 74% of home care providers still cite recruitment difficulties<\/a> as the main reason why they can\u2019t meet the higher demand for their services. And that means one in ten posts are left unfilled<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The nationality of workers recruited into the industry has continued to progress as forecasted as well, with the\u202fproportion of British workers falling to 64% in 2025<\/a>. This coincides with an increase of non-EU workers from 25% to 31% this year, showing that the industry is increasingly looking to foreign recruits to fill vacancies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The industry is still predominantly staffed, around 78%, by people who identify as female. However, workers identifying as male have increased for the third consecutive year, reaching 22%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to the increasing strain on NHS services and the UK\u2019s aging population, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) predicts that\u202f57% more adults aged 65 and over will need home care in 2038 compared to 2018<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While this means the UK domiciliary care industry can expect healthy demand in the future, it\u2019ll need to overcome the shortfalls in long-term public funding and recruitment that have hampered its growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Delays are still causing problems in the industry. In March 2025,\u202faround 370,000 people were awaiting assessment, review, or the start of a care service<\/a>. However, this is steadily declining from the peak of 542,000 in April 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hospital discharges and assessments continue to be the biggest source of this backlog.\u202f40% of adult social services directors<\/a>\u202freported that demands for their services in this area have increased by more than 10% in 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mental health is another area causing strain on the system. 73% of adult social services directors reported an increase in care request and referrals in relation to mental health difficulties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The NHS is the biggest cause for concern in the home care industry, though. 100% of directors said increased NHS pressures are putting more of a burden on them<\/a>. 94% also said this pressure will lead to them having to take on responsibility for services that the NHS would have previously delivered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re in the business of caring for others, it\u2019s only right to think about caring for your business too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Legally, regulatory bodies like the\u202fCQC<\/a>\u202finsist that all home care agencies who register with them have domiciliary care insurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides that, having the right insurance puts your mind at ease. Our domiciliary care package provides cover for accusations of negligence and third-party accidental damage and, if you\u2019re found at fault, will compensate your employees if they get sick or injured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As an agency supervisor or director, your own work is covered too, including the advice you give to your staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For info or advice on\u202fdomiciliary care insurance<\/a>, just call our team on\u202f0345 222 5391<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Image used under license from iStock.<\/em> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With an ageing population, growing pressure on NHS services, and hospitals short of beds,\u00a0more people than ever rely on domiciliary care services in the UK.\u00a0 Clinical home\u00a0care already saves the NHS around \u00a31.6 billion\u00a0a\u00a0year\u00a0\u2014\u00a0the equivalent of over 1.5 million bed … Continue reading The UK domiciliary care market at a glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What\u2019s the size of the UK domiciliary care market?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many people use domiciliary care in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Which home care services are most popular?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many home care agencies are there in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How many domiciliary care workers are there in the UK?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What’s recruitment like in the domiciliary care industry?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are the biggest challenges for the home care industry?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Caring for your own<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n