Care Data Infrastructure
Care data infrastructure refers to the public systems that enable the systematic measurement and monitoring of care needs, service capacity, and the distribution of care responsibilities across society. Time-use surveys, care needs mapping, long-term care projections, and social protection databases are among its core components. Without reliable and regularly updated data, care policies often remain reactive, fragmented, and unequal. Strong care systems depend on public data infrastructure that makes care needs visible, supports evidence-based planning, and enables more effective and equitable policy development.
CURRENT STATISTICS
4.1
Around 4.1 billion people worldwide lack access to any form of social protection. This highlights significant gaps in the public systems needed to identify, monitor, and respond to care needs.
606
Approximately 606 million women are excluded from the labor force due to unpaid care responsibilities. Insufficient care data and planning systems contribute to the persistence of these structural inequalities.
60%
In more than 60% of countries, universal and publicly funded long-term care systems do not exist, leaving care responsibilities largely dependent on families and informal arrangements.
CURRENT CARE POLICIES
Care Policy Recommendations Tool
At İhtimam, we curate emerging care policy recommendations and translate them into practical guidance for different stakeholders. Select a stakeholder group and thematic area to explore relevant policy recommendations, strategies, and actions from Türkiye and around the world.
THE FUTURE OF CARE
Care Radar
The Care Radar tracks emerging developments, weak signals, and evolving conversations across the care landscape. It is designed to help us understand how care is changing and to explore these shifts through an ethical and systems-oriented lens.
The Growing Use of Time-Use Data in Policymaking
Time-use surveys are making unpaid care work more visible and measurable. However, these data are not collected regularly in every country and are not always reflected in public budgeting and policy planning.
The Development of Care Needs Mapping
Some countries are beginning to map the geographic distribution of older populations, disabled people, and children to better understand care demand. These efforts have the potential to strengthen service planning, although data quality and coverage remain uneven.
Long-Term Care Projections
Governments and researchers are producing long-term forecasts to anticipate the impacts of population ageing and rising rates of chronic illness. Yet these projections are often only partially integrated into workforce and financing strategies.
Fragmented Data Systems
Health, social service, and local government data systems frequently operate in isolation from one another. This fragmentation makes it difficult to build a comprehensive understanding of care needs and service provision.
Measuring the Care Economy
New methodologies are being developed to estimate the economic value of unpaid care work through satellite accounts and related tools. These efforts help make the macroeconomic significance of care more visible to policymakers and the public.
The Digitalization of Care Support Systems
Home care allowances, social assistance programs, and care-related benefits are increasingly administered through digital platforms and integrated databases. While digitalization can improve access and coordination, it also raises concerns about digital exclusion, accessibility, and data privacy.
