What do voluntary organisations contribute to the economy?
Income, expenditure and assets contribution
The income, expenditure and assets of the voluntary sector offers insight into its contribution to the UK economy.
Income
In 2021/22, the voluntary sector contributed 7.5% of overall UK income, down from 8.7% in 2020/21.
Overall, UK income has increased £920.6bn (from £731.5bn) while the sector income has increased to £69.1bn (from £63.3bn).
Expenditure
In 2021/22, voluntary sector contribution to expenditure in the UK economy has remained consistent at 6%. This is no change as a proportion from 2020/21, with sector expenditure of £65.5bn in both years.
Overall, in 2021/22, UK expenditure was £1,047.2bn, compared to £1,063bn in 2020/21.
Assets
In 2021/22 the voluntary sector held 1% of UK assets, consistent with the figure 2020/21. In financial terms this was £122.3bn of assets out of the UK total of £12,600bn.
Workforce contribution
In 2023, the voluntary sector employed approximately 978,000 people, representing 3% of the UK’s workforce. This number has remained stable in recent years, except for a small dip from 2022 to 2023.
For comparison, the voluntary sector workforce was almost two-thirds the size of the NHS workforce, the largest single employer in the UK.
The sector’s workforce plays a key role in delivering essential services, with many employees working in social services, health and education.
The shift towards remote and hybrid working has continued and a growing proportion of the workforce now have flexible working arrangements.