Volunteer Scotland has reported that the rate of formal volunteering in Scotland is increasing.
Findings from the 2024 Scottish Household Survey highlight positive trends, with 25% of adults volunteering with a group, club or organisation in 2024. This represents an increase of 331,000 volunteers compared with 2023, when participation fell to its lowest recorded level of 18%.
These results suggest that volunteering in Scotland is beginning to recover following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis. By comparison, the participation rate in 2019 stood at 26%.
Volunteer Scotland has welcomed the rise, particularly noting a 9% increase in participation among 16–34 year olds.
However, the data also shows that issues of inclusion and equity remain. While participation has grown across all demographic groups, the gaps in access are widening. Notably, the difference in participation rates between people living in Scotland’s most deprived communities and those in the least deprived has grown from 12% to 15%.
For more details, please visit the Scottish Government website or read the Volunteer Scotland team’s blog, which explores what these findings could mean for the future of volunteering in Scotland.
