Volunteering trends in 2021

Data on volunteering has been collected in the Census since 2006. It's a simple question that merely asks whether or not a person has volunteered for an organisation or group in the previous twelve months. Although it doesn't provide an indication of the frequency or nature of volunteering activity, the Census data does provide good data on the demographic characteristics of volunteers.  What does the 2021 Census tells us about volunteering in Australia?

How many people volunteer in Australia?

Volunteering data has been of interest this Census due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns. The data provides an indicator as to the extent of unpaid work in the economy, but it is also an important form of social capital. In smaller towns and remote areas, a strong volunteering workforce ensures that services can function effectively. In the Census, volunteering data is collected for all people aged 15 years and over.

According to the 2021 Census, there were a total of 2.93 million people across Australia who indicated they had volunteered at some point in the previous 12 months. This represented 14.1% of the population aged 15 years and over. Females (15.3%) were more likely to volunteer than males (12.9%). People aged 65-74 years had the highest volunteering rate in 2021 (18.0%). The lowest was for people aged 25-34 years (10.2%).

The number of volunteers declined by almost 20% compared to 2016, when 3.62 million (19%) people indicated they had volunteered. The chart below shows that volunteering rates declined in all age groups between 2016 and 2021, particularly for younger age cohorts.

The age structure of the population provides and indication of the potential pool of volunteers in the community. Community development teams in local government can use Census and population forecast data to plan for the volunteer workforce. This includes targetted recruitment and succession planning to ensure the ongoing viability of community based functions that rely on a volunteer workforce.

How did lockdowns impact the volunteering rate in 2021?

It would be easy to attribute the decline in volunteering solely to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions. But the reality is more complex than that, as the decline in volunteering was not restricted to areas that endured lockdowns. In addition, the Census question on volunteering relates to the previous 12 months ie back to August 2020 - and fortunately no areas in Australia were subject to lockdowns for that length of time.

The table below shows that across Australia, regional areas recorded higher rates of volunteering than the state capitals. Only regional Tasmania recorded a lower volunteering rate (17.5%) compared to 18.7% in Greater Hobart. However all parts of Australia, including regional areas, had a lower volunteering rate in 2021. In Greater Hobart the number of volunteers increased marginally between 2016 and 2021 (0.3%), but the rate still declined due to population growth.

In 2021, regional South Australia recorded the highest volunteering rate (22.0%), and the lowest was recorded in Greater Sydney (11.6%). Greater Melbourne, which endured a lengthy lockdown in the second half of 2020, recorded a volunteering rate of 12.1%. This compared to 17.6% in 2016. 

In terms of volunteer numbers, the largest declines were recorded in Greater Melbourne (-24.6%), followed by Greater Sydney (-24.1%) and regional Victoria (-21.3%). In other words, the areas that endured more days in lockdown recorded the greatest decline in numbers. Clearly, lockdowns impacted on opportunities to volunteer, but it does not explain the decline across other parts of Australia where there were no lockdowns.

This is where data from other sources can help fill some of the gaps. The ABS undertakes a General Social Survey on an irregular basis which provides further insights. In the 12 months prior to the 2020 survey, a total of 489.5 million hours of volunteering activity was recorded. The most common types of organisations where volunteering occurred were sports and physical recreation, and religion. The most common reasons given for volunteering were to help others and personal satisfaction. The GSS also recorded a decline in volunteering between the 2019 and 2020 surveys, but the ABS cautions against direct comparisons due to the impact of lockdowns. 

Other ABS data produced via the Household Impacts of COVID-19 survey confirmed that 16% of people who had volunteered in the twelve months prior to March 2021 were no longer volunteering as their organisation had ceased to operate as a result of lockdowns. However work and family commitments were more common reasons for no longer volunteering. This is consistent with the larger decline in the volunteering rate recorded for people aged 15-44 in particular.

Summary

In 2021, there were 2.93 million volunteers in Australia, representing 14.1% of the population aged 15 years and over. The number and rate declined when compared to 2016. The decline was felt more strongly in younger age groups, as well as in those states that endured longer lockdowns. Census data provides critical insights into the demographic characteristics of volunteers, which can be used for workforce planning purposes. But this data can also by supplemented by survey data which provides greater insights into the volunteer workforce.