People in the UK donated more money to charity than ever before in 2023 – an estimated £13.9 billion ($AU26.9 billion) – according to the UK Giving Report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
From a survey of 13,000 people, it found that three-quarters of households gave to charities last year through donations, sponsorships, and volunteering.
CAF also found some of the biggest donations came from some of the UK’s lowest-earning suburbs.
UK donations 2023
The report surveyed people across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It found that “some of the most deprived areas” were home to “the most generous” donors.
For example, households in Northern Ireland’s Belfast West donated an average of 2.2% of their income to charity in 2023. Around 26% of children in the region live in poverty, compared to 20% of children in the UK as a whole.
CAF attributed high total donations in Northern Ireland to donations to religious causes.
England
Some of England’s richest areas ranked among the report’s least generous, with households in parts of London donating around 0.5% of their incomes to charity in 2023.
This included the suburb of Kensington, where two-bedroom homes can sell for as much as £3.7 million ($AU7.1m).
It’s estimated that UK donations to charity in 2023 increased by £1.2 billion ($AU2.3b) from the previous year.
Donations of £20 ($AU39) or less were the most common.
Average monthly donations were 40% higher in 2023 than before the pandemic.
