The results are in! Western Australia's State of Volunteering Report
06/03/2024
The results are in!
1.5 million Western Australians volunteer, generating $63.9 billion for the State
- Western Australia’s State of Volunteering Report 2023 released
- Richest data set on volunteering in Western Australia in more than a decade
- Volunteers are the biggest influencers, with word of month the best recruitment channel
Most people would say that WA’s volunteers are priceless, but they are actually worth a fortune. $64 billion a year, in fact.
That is the value they bring to the WA economy, according to Volunteering WA’s State of Volunteering Report, the biggest and most in-depth survey of volunteering in Western Australia of the past decade.
Visit the WA State of Volunteering Hub
The volunteering sector contributes significantly to the WA workforce and is the largest industry by employment (when measured by replacement cost).
On average, each volunteer contributed 22.6 hours monthly, culminating in more than 398 million hours each year.
The annual contribution of volunteering to the Gross State Product is 1.3% ($4.8billion Gross Value Added), similar to the contribution of WA’s accommodation and food services sector of $4.7 billion.
Tina Williams, Volunteering WA Chief Executive said at 65.1 per cent of the population, Western Australia’s volunteering rate is higher than the 56.7 per cent we see across Australia.
“The WA State of Volunteering Report resets our understanding of volunteering in Western Australia, where the trends lie, what the impacts of the past few tumultuous years have had, and the outlook for the sector,” said Williams.
“We are delighted the report indicates a post-pandemic recovery – showing encouraging signs that the WA volunteering sector is strengthening.
“One of the most exciting results that came out of the report was the enormous contribution young people are making to the WA community. Their volunteering rate is 78.2 per cent, higher than any other age group - and higher in WA than in any jurisdiction in Australia.”
Williams also said it is imperative to acknowledge the significant personal cost borne by volunteers, emphasising that volunteering is not without expense.
Volunteers in WA reported spending an average of $13.75 per hour they volunteered (before reimbursement). This can be directly compared to a cost of $6.15 per volunteer hour in 2015. Volunteers in WA also reported that, on average, they were reimbursed for 21% of their expenses.
With a sector as large and impactful as volunteering is to Western Australia, Volunteering WA asks policy makers in all levels of government to consult with volunteers and volunteer involving organisations on matters that affect them; to reduce costs and barriers to participation whenever possible and to recognise the enormous contribution volunteers make to the fabric of our state.
The work we put into nurture volunteering now, will pay dividends for generations to come.
Volunteering WA will continue to advocate for a strong sector because of the value we know volunteering brings to the lives of all Western Australians.
Read about WA’s State of Volunteering at www.volunteeringwa.org.au/StateofVolunteering
Media Contact
Holly Hazel
Manager Marketing & Communications
08 9482 4304
holly@volunteeringwa.org.au