Youth volunteering has increased over the last decade amid a fall in the number of older people giving up their time for good causes.

The under 35s age group has seen the biggest increase in volunteering between 2010 and 2024 and volunteers aged over 55 have seen the most decline, according to analysis by nfpResearch, which has been tracking volunteering behaviour over the last 20 years.

“The rise in youth volunteering is probably due to the increased emphasis on volunteering in schools and universities, as well as an emphasis on young people volunteering in successive governments’ policy, says nfpResearch.

This includes Millennium Volunteers, Vinspired and the coalition government’s National Citizen Service.

“Waxing lyrical about volunteering is a vital part of most school children and young people’s university applications through UCAS, and many universities provide credits for volunteering.

“This may well establish the volunteering habit at an early age, which then continues into their twenties and thirties.”

There has also been rapid growth in volunteering among teenagers and those in their early 20s, the research found. While in March 2012 just over one in five of this age group volunteered in the previous three months, this proportion jumped to almost one in three by March last year.

In contrast volunteering among 55–64-year-olds has more than halved, from more than one in four to around one in eight over the same period. Among over 65s the drop is from more than one in four to around one in six.

Worse pensions and health

Worsening pension provision and health post-Covid are among factors in the decline in volunteering among older people.

“On top of these, the economic situation has left many people financially worse off, of which the cost-of-living crisis is only the final straw,” said the consultancy.

“All these combine to mean older people have less money and may not be able to spare the time to volunteer. On top of this there has been comparatively little government policy to encourage older people to volunteer, compared to young people.”

The research also found that more men than women volunteer, in contrast to many years over the last decade. It found that between 2016 and 2020 the average volunteering rate for men over the previous three months was 20% and for women the rate was 21%.

But from April 2020 and March 2024 the average rate for men was 23% and for women it was 18%.

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