Despite policy measures to support stay-at-home dads, experts say they are still rare in Australian families.

Key points: 4 per cent of fathers in two-parent families are looking after their children full time

4 per cent of fathers in two-parent families are looking after their children full time Stay-at-home parent not as financially sustainable as they used to be

Stay-at-home parent not as financially sustainable as they used to be Researcher says it's likely dads are involved in other ways

New research has found only 4 per cent of fathers in two-parent families are looking after their children full time.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies analysed previous census data from 2011 and labour force figures from last year.

It found there were 75,000 full-time fathers caring for children in Australia.

Researcher Dr Jennifer Baxter said while there seemed to be a common perception that the number of stay-at-home dad families was on the rise, they were still fairly rare.

"When you actually look at the statistics as to how many families have a dad who is not employed and a mum who is employed, there are very few of them," she said.

Dr Baxter said she expected it would be less likely in the future for either parent to stay at home.

"The whole idea of having a stay-at-home parent in the family is not so financially sustainable as it used to be," she said.

"Especially if you are talking about the dad being at home, that's going to end up being quite a financial hit."

Dr Baxter said further studies were needed to look at how involved fathers were in parenting.

"The story is probably a bit more complicated than our statistics were able to show," she said.

"I think that a lot of dads are being more involved in the parenting in the home, but in ways other than removing themselves entirely from work.

"I think there are dads making use of flexible working arrangements."

Stay-at-home dad life 'can be lonely'

Melbourne dad George Kanjere has his plate full looking after two young girls, aged three and eight-months-old.

"I guess it is a lot of work, that's all I can generally do in the days, take care of them and maybe get the house cleaned a little bit or something, but basically run after them all day."

But he said he did feel isolated at times, because there were not many other fathers in his situation.

"I feel like I've had to learn a lot of stuff which wasn't necessarily expected," he said.

"Things which I guess society generally teaches, this is what you are going to do as a girl and this is what you will do as a boy, that kind of thing."

He had found a couple of other fathers who he already knew in the suburb of Reservoir, but said stay-at-home dads remained a minority.

And among his friendship group, Mr Kanjere said he had heard of fathers feeling pressured to work longer hours.

"[A friend] was in one of these offices in the city where generally to leave before 6:30pm is sort of scandalous, even though the end of the day was technically 5:00pm," he said.

"And he'd just had his baby and that was the most important thing in his life, and so he was going to leave at 5:00pm.

"I remember him saying how it was sort of nerve wracking for him to get to 5:00pm and stand up and leave the office."

Mr Kanjere said although dads were not parenting full-time as much as mums, they were still doing a good job.

"I do feel there are a lot of dads who are sort of more involved with their kids' lives a bit more ... I guess more emotionally available dads than there used to be."