The UK’s ageing population is reshaping the social care landscape, driving an ever-growing demand for care home services. With people living longer, understanding the scale and dynamics of the care home sector has never been more important. Here’s a breakdown of the latest care home statistics, workforce insights, and trends shaping the industry.

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How Many Care Homes Are in the UK?

The UK is home to approximately 16,700 care homes, split into residential care homes (70%) and nursing homes (30%). Here’s the breakdown by country:

Region	Total Care Homes	Residential Care Homes	Nursing Homes
UK	16,726	11,650	4,982
England	14,228	10,218	4,009
Wales	1,003	760	243
Scotland	988	491	497
Northern Ireland	414	181	233

(Data as of November 2023, sourced from carehome.co.uk)

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How Many People Live in Care Homes?

Nearly half a million people reside in care homes across the UK. This figure varies slightly by country, reflecting differing care needs and provisions:

Region	Care Home Population
UK	441,479
England	372,035
Wales	24,178
Scotland	33,352
Northern Ireland	11,914

(Source: ONS, Statista, PHS, DoH)

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Specialised Care in the UK

Care homes cater to a variety of needs, from old age to dementia and learning disabilities.

Care Type	Number of Care Homes (UK)
Old Age/Elderly	11,639
Dementia	8,753
Learning Disabilities	6,019

Dementia care is particularly prevalent, with around 70% of all care home residents living with dementia or severe memory problems (Alzheimer’s Society).

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Who Works in Care Homes?

The care home workforce is vast, with approximately 750,000 people employed across the UK. Here’s how the workforce is distributed:

Region	Care Home Workforce
UK	745,392
England	650,000
Wales	29,100
Scotland	51,040
Northern Ireland	15,252

(Source: Skills for Care, Social Care Wales, SSSC, Health NI)

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Future Challenges and Opportunities

As the sector recovers from the pandemic, care home demand is rising, but challenges persist. According to Carterwood, a leading social care analyst:

• Bed Capacity: Between 37,500 existing beds will be lost, and 19,700 new beds will be developed by the end of 2024.
• Shortfalls: A national shortfall of 57,300–64,300 market-standard beds and 221,600–228,600 wetroom beds is expected.

These figures highlight the critical need for strategic investment and innovation to meet growing demand.