Volunteer Facts & Statistics
- Volunteering among adults has increased significantly over the past decade.
- An estimated 109 million adults aged 18 and over volunteered in 1998 (the latest statistics available), up from 93 million in 1995. Eighty million adults volunteered in 1987.
- Fifty-six percent of adults volunteered in 1998, an increase of 13.7 percent over 1995, when 49 percent of adults volunteered. This is the highest rate of volunteering in more than a decade. In 1987, 45 percent of adults volunteered.
- While the number and percentage of the adult population that reported volunteering increased significantly over the last decade, the amount of time people spent volunteering declined slightly.
- The 109 million adult volunteers gave a total of 19.9 billion hours during 1998, an average of 3.5 hours a week.
- In contrast, 93 million volunteers contributed a total of 20.3 billion hours in 1995, an average of 4.2 hours a week. In 1987, 80 million adult volunteers gave 19.6 billion hours, averaging 4.7 hours a week.
- Volunteer efforts are a valuable commodity.
- The volunteer workforce represented the equivalent of over nine million full-time employees; their combined efforts were worth $225 billion; the assigned hourly value (for 1998) was $14.30.
- In 1987, total volunteer efforts were worth $149 billion; the assigned hourly value was $10.06.
- Who volunteers?
- Women volunteer more than men (62% Vs 49%), however men who volunteered gave more time than women (3.6 hours Vs 3.4 hours).
- Seniors are volunteering in greater numbers, as are members of minority groups.
- Forty-three percent of seniors aged 75 and over said they volunteered, an eight percent increase since 1995.
- Forty-six percent of Hispanics volunteered in 1998, a six percent increase since 1995.
- Forty-seven percent of African-Americans volunteered in 1998, 12 percent more than 1995.