According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) General Social Survey (GSS):
9.5 million people volunteered in Australia in 2025 in either formal or informal volunteering or both.
This is equivalent to 42.8% of the Australian population over 15 years of age.
Volunteering rates remain steady, with more than 5 million people volunteering formally through an organisation in 2025, similar to 2020 results.
While the rate of participation in formal volunteering has not recovered to pre-Covid levels, Australians spent significantly more time volunteering through an organisation in 2025, with a total of 618 million hours volunteered compared to 490 million hours in 2020. This is a particularly significant finding that highlights the resilient nature of volunteering since 2020, despite Australians facing increasing cost-of-living pressures. Informal volunteering rates also remain steady at 29.5% (or 6.553 million people).
These findings are positive in the context of increased cost-of-living challenges during the past five years, with more households experiencing financial stress across all indicators measured in the 2025 GSS compared with 2020. Notably, this data was collected in 2025, prior to the fuel crisis in 2026, which has seen volunteers and volunteer involving organisations face increased fuel cost pressures due to the Middle East conflict, resulting in some organisations – particularly those that are heavily dependent on transport – struggling to maintain services. This impact is likely to be reflected in the 2026 GSS results.
