The State of Volunteering in Western Australia
In 2024, Volunteering WA released the richest data set on volunteering in Western Australia in over a decade.
Volunteering WA proudly represents over 1.5 million volunteers across the state including 742,000 people aged over 15 who volunteer formally with an organisation or group.
Volunteering WA is delighted to share our second State of Volunteering Report. Western Australia's State of Volunteering Report is the result of the largest survey of volunteers and volunteer managers ever conducted in Western Australia. This report is for everyone involved in the volunteering ecosystem in WA and across Australia. As the peak body for volunteering, we are committed to sharing the latest volunteering trends with members and stakeholders.
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Read what Volunteering WA and the Minister for Volunteering, say about the State of Volunteering in WA.
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Download the WA State of Volunteering Report (PDF)
If you are after all the data, all the statistics, and survey responses, download the comprehensive WA State of Volunteering Report.
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If you need quick access to the high-level key statistics, this is the place. However, we encourage you to download and read the comprehensive Report as it is a valuable resource for the sector.
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Western Australia's State of Volunteering Report is the result of the largest survey of volunteers and volunteer managers ever conducted in Western Australia, with the richest data set in more than a decade.
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How The Sector Can Use This Report
The WA State of Volunteering Report serves as a comprehensive overview of the volunteering landscape in WA, offering insights into various aspects of the sector and areas that require focus.
Acknowledgements
We appreciate everyone who contributed to this report, our committed team, The Institute of Project Management, and the Department of Communities for their support, and importantly the thousands of volunteers and volunteer managers who give their time and skills every day to make a positive impact.
Additional Statistics and Research from across Australia
A Snapshot of Volunteering in Australia
May 2025
How does Western Australia compare nationally? Explore the state of volunteering across Australia, through the Snapshot of Volunteering in Australia report (PDF).
The Snapshot of Volunteering in Australia Report was collaboratively commissioned by all State and Territory Volunteering Peak Bodies to provide a detailed overview of volunteering in Australia.
The report is based on the surveys conducted around Australia in 2023 for each State and Territory’s State of Volunteering Report. The current Snapshot Report is a result of the efforts and collaboration of each of the State and Territory peak bodies in facilitating these surveys in their own jurisdictions, and in providing advice on the development and publication of the report.
The report outlines the current state of volunteering in Australia and considers the economic and social value of volunteering, while capturing the unique characteristics of the nation’s volunteer landscape and providing a deeper understanding of its importance.
Volunteering Australia Fact Sheet(s)
February 2022
This Volunteering Australia fact sheet provides key statistics about volunteering in Australia to assist you with program development, funding applications and advocacy. It includes data on how many people volunteer, who volunteers, where people volunteer, how often people volunteer, why people volunteer, barriers to volunteering, the economic value of volunteering, the social value of volunteering, trends in volunteering, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volunteering, sources of data on volunteering, and much more.
Download the PDF information sheet.
Youth Volunteering Key Statistics
August 2023
This Volunteering Australia document provides key statistics about youth volunteering in Australia and was released in August 2023 in honour of National Student Volunteer Week.
The data presented here is taken from several sources, specifically Volunteering in Australia research undertaken in 2022 to inform the development of the National Strategy for Volunteering, the General Social Survey (GSS) 2019 and 2020, the Household Impacts of COVID-19 surveys (the February, March, April, and June waves).
Key findings:
- 25.0 per cent of people aged 18-24 years volunteered formally (through an organisation or group) in 2022. This is an estimated 572,635 volunteers aged 18-24.
- The proportion of people aged 18-24 years who had volunteered formally in the previous 12 months fell from 36.5 per cent in late 2019 to 25.6 per cent in April 2021. This decreased slightly to 25.0 per cent in 2022.
Download the PDF information sheet.
Teens volunteering protects against poor mental health
May 2023
A 2023 Report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has found that if a child is involved in volunteering before the age of 13, the odds of having poor mental health are reduced by around 28%.
As well, children who demonstrate ‘prosocial’ behaviours, such as caring for others or doing acts of kindness, were 11% less likely to experience mental ill-health.
The data was collected as part of Growing Up in Australia: A Longitudinal Study of Children (LSAC) which has been following the development of 10,000 children since 2003.
View the study on the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) website
Volunteering & Gender Key Statistics
March 2021
This Volunteering Australia fact sheet provides key statistics about volunteering in Australia by gender. The main source of data is the General Social Survey (GSS) which includes a series of questions about volunteering.
Download the PDF information sheet.