Key findings:
- 46% of Australian adults have donated goods to charity in the past 12 months, while 41% have personally donated money.
- 38% have bought something from a charity shop.
- Among those who donated money, 55% made one-off donations only, while 25% combined one-off and regular donations.
- Half (50%) of Australian adults say they are likely to donate money to charity in the next 12 months.
From donating goods and money to volunteering and fundraising, charitable giving takes different forms across Australia, with patterns of participation varying across age groups.
In the first of a three-part series on charitable giving, YouGov data reveals the ways Australians have supported charities over the past 12 months, how participation varies by age and gender, the ways people make monetary donations and whether they expect to donate in the year ahead.
How Australians support charities
Donating goods is the most common form of charity support measured, with 46% of Australian adults saying they have done so in the past 12 months. Around two in five (41%) have personally given money, while 38% have bought something from a charity shop.
YouGov’s data shows that other activities are less common. Around 15% have shared or promoted a charity appeal or campaign online, 14% have sponsored someone, and 13% have volunteered for a charity. One in eight (12%) have donated money through their workplace, while 10% have fundraised.
Approaching one in five Australian adults (18%) say they have not supported charities in any of these ways during the past 12 months.
How charitable giving in Australia varies by age and gender
The study finds that women are more likely than men to have donated goods in the past 12 months (54% vs. 37%) and to have bought something from a charity shop (43% vs. 32%). However, men are slightly more likely to have personally donated money (44% vs. 39%).
YouGov’s data shows that a quarter of men (25%) have not done any of the activities measured, compared with 12% of women.
There are also notable differences by age. More than half of those aged 55+ (57%) have donated goods, compared with 48% of 45-54-year-olds and 42% of 25-34-year-olds. This falls further among younger age groups - to 31% for those aged 35-44 and 29% of 18–24-year-olds.
Similarly, personal monetary donations are also highest among those aged 55 and over (48%). Proportions decline consistently among other age groups: 41% of 25-34-year-olds, 37% of those between 35-44, 36% of Australians aged 45-54 and 29% of those between 18 and 24.
However, some activities are more common among younger adults. People aged 18-24 are more likely than those aged 55+ to have volunteered for a charity (18% vs. 10%), while workplace donations are highest among 25-34-year-olds (21%).
How do Australians donate money to charity: one-off or regular donations?
Among Australian adults who have donated money to charity in the past 12 months, 55% say they made one-off donations only, a quarter (25%) combined one-off and regular donations, while 18% made regular donations only.
Among donors, one-off giving is particularly common aged 18-24 (81%). This compares with 41% of 25-34-year-olds, 52% of those aged 35-44, 62% of people between 45-54, and 57% of Australians aged 55+.
How many Australians plan to donate to charity in the next 12 months?
Half of Australians (50%) say they are likely to donate money to charity in the next 12 months, while around a quarter (24%) say they are unlikely to donate and 20% are neither likely nor unlikely.
Over half of those aged 25-34 (56%), 35-44 (53%) and 55+ (51%) say they are likely to donate over the coming year, compared with 45% of 18-24-year-olds and 41% of 45-54-year-olds.
Men are slightly more likely than women to say they will donate money over the next year (53% vs. 48%).
Methodology: YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online between 24 August and 2 September 2026, with a nationally representative sample of 1,144 adults (aged 18+ years) in Australia, using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by age, gender, and region to be representative of all adults in Australia (18 years or older) and reflect the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) population estimates.
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