UK Civil Society Almanac 2023

14.2m people volunteered through a group, club or organisation in 2021/22

Almost half of the population volunteered their time informally to help others at least once in 2021/22, back down from the increased levels seen in the earlier stages of the pandemic.

After adjusting spend in previous years for inflation, (in 2020/21), combined income fell for charities of all sizes. There was a faster rate of decline at 11% for micro, small and medium-sized organisations.

Informal volunteering at least once a month had increased from 28% in 2019/20 to 33% in 2020/21, reflecting the impact of the pandemic. In 2021/22, this dropped to the pre-pandemic level of 26%.

Small charities increasingly face closures and increasingly dependent on public funding. The number of newly registered charities fell below average in 2021, and many saw their income fall.

35% of mixed ethnic background groups volunteered at least once in the past year

In the last 12 months, 27% of those who identify as white have volunteered formally at least once. This is lower than among those identifying as being from a mixed ethnic background (35%).

Civil Society Covenant

UK Civil Society Almanac 2023