Informal volunteering: Trends and characteristics

About the publication

• What are the key findings on informal volunteering trends and characteristics?

  Informal volunteering accounts for nearly 70% of all volunteering and varies greatly by age, gender, education, income, disability status, urban/rural location and between countries.

  One significant finding is that while gender alone does not greatly affect engagement in volunteer work, the intersection of gender with other demographic characteristics does play a crucial role in shaping volunteering patterns. For example, engagement in unpaid care in the home strongly reduces female engagement in informal volunteering as does their higher educational attainment.

• How is informal volunteering defined in this context?

  Informal volunteering comprises unpaid services provided to non-family members on a person‑to‑person basis, outside formal organizational structures, though it may sometimes involve registered or unregistered groups. Many people engaged in such activities do not self‑identify as volunteers.

• Who is this publication for?

  The publication is intended for policy makers, development practitioners, researchers, and volunteer‑involving organizations seeking better evidence on informal volunteering. It is particularly relevant for actors working on inclusion, social protection, and community‑based development.

• How can this publication inform policy, research, and practice?

  It provides empirical evidence and comparative insights that can improve how informal volunteering is recognised, measured, and supported in policy and programmes. The findings can help guide more inclusive volunteer strategies, better data collection approaches, and context‑specific interventions.