Your Year to Volunteer – Volunteering remains essential to Australian communities
New insights show Australians continue to volunteer despite rising cost-of-living pressures, competing demands on time, and growing pressure on community services. Across the country, volunteers are continuing to support the people, organisations, and causes that help communities thrive.
While volunteering continues to evolve alongside modern life, formal volunteering remains a critical part of Australia’s social fabric. Across the country, millions of volunteers continue to support essential services and community organisations including emergency relief, aged care, food support, sport, education, health, environment, and community connection.
New data shows 9.5 million people volunteered in Australia in 2025, through formal volunteering, informal volunteering, or both. More than 5 million Australians volunteered through organisations nationwide, contributing over 618 million hours in 2025, up from 490 million hours in 2020. 1
Informal volunteering rates also remain steady with 6.553 million people giving their time.
As the driving force behind National Volunteer Week 2026 (18–24 May), Volunteering Australia is leading this year’s campaign under the theme “Your Year to Volunteer”, recognising those already contributing and inviting more people to see where they might take part. This year’s campaign aligns with the United Nations International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026)1, a global moment to recognise volunteers and highlight the role volunteering plays in strong, connected communities by fostering solidarity, civic engagement, and a sense of belonging.
Work is already underway to strengthen and support volunteering across Australia through the National Strategy for Volunteering, which focuses on making volunteering more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable for the future. The National Strategy recognises that volunteering continues to evolve and highlights the importance of reducing barriers so more people can contribute in ways that work for them and their communities. 3
National Volunteer Week provides an opportunity to recognise the millions of Australians who give their time, skills, and care to communities across the country.
CEO of Volunteering Australia, Mark Pearce, says that at a time when communities are facing increasing pressure, volunteers continue to play an essential role across Australia and should not be taken for granted.
“Volunteering is at the heart of Australian communities, and as communities change, volunteering is evolving alongside them,” says Mr Pearce.
“What stands out in this data is not just the stability of volunteering participation, but the extraordinary contribution volunteers continue to make through organisations and communities across the country.
“Despite the pressures many Australians are experiencing, people are volunteering and, in fact, are contributing more hours than before.
“Formal volunteers are supporting essential services and helping organisations respond to growing community need. At the same time, Australians are continuing to support one another by informally volunteering in flexible and everyday ways.
“Volunteering may look different across different stages of life, but the willingness to contribute remains strong.”
“Your Year to Volunteer is both a recognition of what already exists and an invitation. There is no single way to volunteer. What matters is that people can take part in ways that work for them,” concludes Mr Pearce.
Australians are encouraged to make 2026 Your Year to Volunteer by exploring opportunities through state and territory Volunteering Peak Body websites, GoVolunteer.com.au, or by building on the ways they already contribute within their communities.
Volunteers and organisations are invited to share their stories during National Volunteer Week using #NVW2026 and #VolunteerYear, showcasing the diversity and everyday reality of volunteering across the country.
About Volunteering Australia
Volunteering Australia is the national peak body for volunteering. Its mission is to support a thriving volunteering ecosystem in Australia by promoting and advocating for volunteering and providing leadership at a national level.
The seven state and territory Volunteering Peak Bodies work to advance volunteering in their respective jurisdictions and are Foundation Members of Volunteering Australia.
Volunteering Australia’s vision is for a future where volunteering is the heart of Australian communities.
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