Coverage: Northern Ireland Frequency: Annual Publication
Date: 8 October 2026
Main Stories
In 2025/26, almost half (47%) of adults had volunteered (either formally
or informally) within the previous year.
Almost a third (31%) of adults had volunteered formally with an
organisation within the previous year, an increase on the figure for
2024/25 (27%).
A third (33%) of adults had volunteered informally in their communities,
similar to the figure for 2024/25 (34%).
For those who volunteered formally, the most popular types of activities
included ‘Fundraising’, ‘Being a group leader, member of a committee or
a trustee’ and ‘Run or help out at a group for young people’.
The most common activities for those who volunteered informally included
‘Keeping in touch with someone who is at risk of being lonely’, ‘Doing
shopping, collecting pension, collecting benefits or paying bills’ and
‘Providing transport or accompanying someone away from home’.
Top factors that would encourage volunteering reported by adults who did
not volunteer within the previous year were ‘If I was directly asked to
volunteer’, ‘If a need arose in my community’ and ‘If there was
flexibility on when and how I could get involved’.
Introduction
Among other policy areas, the Department for Communities (DfC) is the
lead department for volunteering. DfC is responsible for the development
of voluntary and community sector strategies and policies and both funds
and works in partnership with the sector.
This report presents the findings from the 2025/26 Continuous
Household Survey (CHS) in relation to experience of volunteering in
Northern Ireland. These findings are used to inform the development,
monitoring and evaluation of policy. More information relating to the
CHS, methodology, definitions and the interpretation of the figures can
be found in the Definitions &
technical notes section. Data tables are available in
Excel
and
ODS
format. The questions that were asked in the CHS 2025/26 are available
here.
Note: In 2023/24 questions relating to volunteering were reviewed
to improve collection of data relating to informal volunteering. As a
result of these changes figures for 2023/24 to 2025/26 are not directly
comparable to previous years.
Lead statistician: Catriona McKevitt
Engagement in volunteering
Almost half (47%) of the adult population had volunteered in 2025/26,
similar to the 2024/25 figure (46%). This overall figure includes both
formal volunteering with organisations and informal volunteering in the
community.
Similar proportions of females (47%) and males (46%) volunteered in
2025/26.
A lower proportion of those aged 16 to 24 years (42%) and 25 to 34 years
(41%) volunteered compared with those aged 35 to 44 years (52%).
Adults from the Protestant community were more likely to volunteer (52%)
than both those from the Catholic community (43%) and those with no
religion or another religious background (42%). Adults without a
disability were also more likely to have volunteered compared to those
with a disability (48% and 43% respectively). There was a difference in
those who volunteered between adults with dependants and those without
dependants (51% and 43% respectively). Married or cohabiting adults
(51%) were more likely to have volunteered than those of other marital
status groups.
Adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have
volunteered than those living in the most deprived areas (54% and 37%
respectively). Adults living in rural areas were also more likely to
have volunteered than those living in urban areas (50% and 44%
respectively).
Local Government District
In 2025/26, over half of adults living in the following areas had
volunteered in the previous year; Fermanagh and Omagh (58%), Antrim and
Newtownabbey (54%) and Mid and East Antrim (51%). In contrast, fewer
than two in five adults (38%) living in Belfast had volunteered in the
previous year.
Formal volunteering
In 2025/26, 31% of adults had volunteered formally with an organisation
within the previous year, an increase on the figure for 2024/25 (27%).
The same proportions of males and females volunteered formally (31%).
A higher proportion of adults aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 (both 35%)
volunteered formally than those aged 25 to 34 (27%), 55 to 64 and 65 and
over (both 29%).
Adults from the Protestant community were more likely to volunteer
formally (36%) than both those from the Catholic community (29%) and
those with no religion or another religious background (26%). Adults
without a disability were also more likely to have volunteered with an
organisation compared to those with a disability (34% and 24%
respectively). Formal volunteering was more common among adults with
dependants than those without dependants (35% and 28% respectively).
Married or cohabiting adults (36%) were more likely to have volunteered
formally than adults in other marital status groups.
Adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have
volunteered formally than those living in the most deprived areas (37%
and 24% respectively). Adults living in rural areas were also more
likely to have volunteered formally than those living in urban areas
(36% and 27% respectively).
Types of formal volunteering organisations
The organisations most frequently cited that adults volunteered with in
the previous year were: ‘Church/Faith Based’ (11%), ‘Sports’ (8%),
Childrens education/Schools’ (5%), ‘Local Community, neighbourhood or
citizens groups’ (5%) and ‘Youth/Childrens activities (outside school)’
(5%).
There were some differences in the types of organisation males and
females volunteered with in the previous year. A higher proportion of
females volunteered with a ‘Church/Faith Based’ organisation and
‘Childrens education/Schools’ than males. In contrast, a higher
proportion of males indicated that they had volunteered with sports
organisations than females.
Types of formal volunteering activities
The most frequently cited activities undertaken by adults volunteering
in an organisation in the previous year were: ‘Fundraising’ (31%),
‘Being a group leader, member of a committee or a trustee’ (28%) and
‘Run or help out at a group for young people’ (23%).
There were some differences in the types of activities carried out by
males and females while volunteering formally in the previous year. A
higher proportion of females reported ‘Collecting/making things to be
provided or sold for charity’ and were more likely to ‘Run or help out
at a group for young people’ than males. A higher proportion of males
provided ‘Education, training or coaching to develop people’s skills’
and ‘Transport/driving’ than females.
Informal volunteering
In 2025/26, 33% of adults had volunteered informally in their
communities, similar to the 2024/25 figure (34%). Informal volunteering
involves giving unpaid help to individuals who are not a relative, for
example, babysitting, keeping in touch with someone who has difficulty
getting out and about, or helping out with household tasks such as
cleaning, laundry or shopping. There was no difference in the
proportions of males and females who volunteered informally (both 33%).
A lower proportion of those aged 25 to 34 years (29%) volunteered
informally compared with those aged 35 to 44 (37%) and those aged 45 to
54 and 55 to 64 (35% for both age groups).
Following a similar pattern to formal volunteering, adults from the
Protestant community were more likely to have volunteered informally
(37%) than both those from the Catholic community (30%) and those with
no religion or another religious background (31%). There was also a
difference in those who volunteered informally between adults with
dependants and those without dependants (37% and 30% respectively).
Furthermore, those who were married or cohabiting adults (36%) were more
likely to have volunteered informally than single people (28%) and
widowed individuals (30%). In contrast to formal volunteering, however,
similar proportions of those with and without a disability volunteered
informally (32% and 33% respectively).
Analysis of informal volunteering levels by area also followed a similar
pattern to that of formal volunteering. Adults living in the least
deprived areas (37%) were more likely to have volunteered informally
than those living in the most deprived areas (26%), while higher
proportions of adults living in rural areas volunteered informally than
those living in urban areas (35% and 32% respectively).
Types of informal volunteering activities
The activities most frequently cited by adults volunteering informally
in the previous year were: ‘Keeping in touch with someone who is at risk
of being lonely’ (16%), ‘Doing shopping, collecting pension, collecting
benefits or paying bills’ (8%), and ‘Providing transport or accompanying
someone away from home’ (7%).
There were some differences in the types of activities carried out by
males and females while volunteering informally in the previous year. A
higher proportion of females than males were involved with ‘Babysitting
or looking after children’ and ‘Doing shopping, collecting pension,
collecting benefits or paying bills’. In contrast, a higher proportion
of males than females were involved with ‘Helping someone else to
improve a skill’ and ‘Car or home maintenance or repairs’.
Frequency of volunteering
Just over one in five of those who volunteered both formally and
informally in the last year had volunteered several times a week (21%),
while more than a quarter (27%) volunteered about once a week. Almost
three in ten of all adults volunteered less than once a week but at
least once a month (29%), while just under a quarter (23%) had
volunteered less than once a month.
Time spent volunteering
Of those who volunteered both formally and informally in the last year,
almost six in ten had volunteered less than eight hours in the previous
four weeks (59%), 16% had volunteered between eight and 16 hours. Almost
one in ten adults volunteered both formally and informally for more than
17 hours in the previous four weeks (9%).
Benefits of volunteering
More than three in every five adults who had volunteered both formally
and informally in the previous year cited ‘Makes me feel better about
myself’ (64%) and ‘Helps me make a positive contribution to society’
(61%) as benefits of volunteering. Over a third reported that
volunteering had improved their mental health (35%), while a third said
that they had fun volunteering (33%). Only 4% of adults reported
receiving no benefit from volunteering.
The proportions of males and females citing most of the benefits of
volunteering were similar. However, a higher proportion of males
reported that volunteering had contributed to ‘Improved physical
health’. In contrast, a higher proportion of females reported that
volunteering had ‘Developed my confidence’.
Volunteered in the past
Of those who had not volunteered within the previous year, almost a
quarter (24%) said that they had volunteered some time in the past.
Those living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have
volunteered in the past than those living in the most deprived areas
(33% and 15% respectively). Among marital status groups, a higher
proportion of married/cohabiting adults (26%) had volunteered in the
past compared with single people (21%).
Encourage volunteering
Among adults who had not volunteered within the previous year, the three
most commonly cited factors that would encourage volunteering were if
they were asked directly (19%), if a need arose in their community (18%)
and if there was flexibility on when and how they could get involved
(13%). Almost half of adults who had not volunteered within the previous
year said nothing would encourage them to volunteer (45%).
The factors that would encourage volunteering were broadly similar for
males and females. Men were more likely than women to have stated ‘If I
was directly asked to volunteer’ and ‘If I could develop new
skills/knowledge from it’ as factors, whilst women were more likely to
have stated ‘If childcare facilities were provided’ and ‘If I knew my
social security benefits would be unaffected’.
Definitions & technical notes
Continuous Household Survey
The Continuous Household Survey is a Northern Ireland wide household
survey administered by Central Survey Unit, Northern Ireland Statistics
and Research Agency. The sample for this survey consists of a systematic
random sample of 8,940 addresses selected from the NISRA Address
Register (NAR). The NAR is developed within NISRA and is primarily based
on the Land and Property Services (LPS) Pointer database. The findings
reported for 2025/26 are based on 4,004 respondents, aged 16 and over.
In 2023/24 questions relating to volunteering were reviewed to improve
collection of data relating to informal volunteering. As a result
figures for 2023/24 to 2025/26 are not directly comparable to previous
years.
Weighting the Continuous Household Survey
Analysis of the volunteering module of the CHS has been weighted for
non-response. A chi square goodness-of-fit test showed that the CHS
sample (4,004) was not representative of the population by age and sex
when compared with the 2024 Mid Year Estimates for Northern Ireland
(NISRA
11 September 2025). As a result, separate weights were produced for
age, sex and age and sex combined.
Non-response weighting sometimes increases standard errors, although the
impact tends to be fairly small, i.e. the adjustment may be less or
greater than 1, but will generally be reasonably close to 1. In the case
of the culture, arts and sport modules of the CHS, the values of the
adjustment for all three weighting systems are so close to one, it is
not necessary to take account of this in the calculation of standard
error and confidence intervals.
While weighting for non-response (also called post-stratification)
should reduce bias, it must be acknowledged that it will not eliminate
bias. The reasons individuals choose to take part in surveys are complex
and depend on lots of factors specific to the individual. As a result,
the non-response biases in surveys are likely to be complex.
Post-stratification works on the assumption that, by aligning the survey
to the population along a small number of dimensions such as age and
sex, many of these complex biases will reduce. However, it would be
misleading to suggest that they will be eliminated.
Statistical significance in this report
Any statements in this report regarding differences between groups are
statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that
we can be 95% confident that the differences between groups are actual
differences and have not just arisen by chance. The base numbers and
sizes of percentages have an effect on statistical significance.
Therefore on occasion, a difference between two groups may be
statistically significant while the same difference in percentage points
between two other groups may not be statistically significant. The
reason for this is because the larger the base numbers or the closer the
percentages are to 0 or 100, the smaller the standard errors. This leads
to increased precision of the estimates which increases the likelihood
that the difference between the proportions is actually significant and
has not just arisen by chance.
Official Statistics
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics
Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and
value in the
Code of
Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics
should adhere to. Contact us directly with any comments about how we
meet these standards -
email:analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk.
Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing
regulation@statistics.gov.uk
or via the OSR
website.
Other notes
The following should be noted when interpreting figures and tables:
Percentages less than 0.5% are denoted by ‘0’ and where there are no
responses, they are denoted by ‘-’.
Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
Percentages may not add to 100% for questions where multiple responses
are allowed.
Detailed tabulations are not provided where the number of respondents is
too small to allow meaningful analysis.
The base number of responses to each question, which is shown in each
table, is the unweighted count. The base may vary due to some
respondents not answering certain questions.
Volunteering - Volunteering is defined as ‘the commitment of time
and energy, for the benefit of society and the community, the
environment, or individuals outside (or in addition to) one’s immediate
family. It is unpaid and undertaken freely and by choice.’
Includes formal volunteering with an organisation or informal
volunteering in the community
Formal volunteering - Thinking about the definition just
given, in the last 12 months have you carried out any voluntary work or
activity with any of the following types of groups, clubs or
organisations?
Church/Faith Based
Sports
Children’s education/Schools
Youth/Children’s activities (outside school)
Older people
People with a disability
Health and social care
Conservation, the Environment and Heritage
Culture/Arts/Crafts
Housing and Homelessness
Local community, neighbourhood or citizen’s groups
Animal care
Safety/First-Aid
Other
No voluntary work in past 12 months
Informal volunteering - The next section asks about any unpaid
help you as an individual may have given to other people or to improve
your local environment, that is apart from any help given through a
group, club or organisation. Do not include help given to a relative. In
the last 12 months have you done any of these things unpaid?
Keeping in touch with someone who is at risk of being lonely (in person,
telephoning or e-mailing)
Doing shopping, collecting pension, collecting benefits or paying bills
Routine household chores e.g. cooking, cleaning, laundry, gardening
Car or home maintenance or repairs
Babysitting or looking after children
Helping with personal care (e.g. washing, dressing)
Providing advice or support with letters or forms or speaking with
others on someone else’s behalf (e.g. speaking with a council department
or with a doctor).
Providing transport or accompanying someone away from home (e.g. on an
outing or to a hospital appointment)
Helping to improve your local environment e.g. litter picking but not as
part of an organised activity
