Bitte beachten Sie, dass die von Ihnen aufgerufene Seite nicht in Ihrer Standardsprache vorliegt. Sie nutzen unsere Plattform nun in einer anderen Sprache.

Charities in the UK - Statistics & Facts

There were approximately 168,850 registered charities in England and Wales as of 2023. Between 2000 and 2007 the number of charities increased by around 10,000, before the 2008 global recession culled the number of charities by the same number in just two years. Since 2011, the number of charities in England and Wales has recovered to levels seen just prior to the financial crash. The average amount which people give to charity has also increased slightly in recent years. In 2021/22 for example, average amount given to charity in England per month was 27 British pounds, compared with 24 pounds in 2019/20. Women are more likely to give to charity then men are, and the most charitable age group were those over the aged between 65 and 74.

Characteristics of UK charities

Of the many charities operating in the UK, the most popular charity according to how positively people viewed them was Cancer Research UK, followed by the British Heart Foundation. As of 2023 the charity with the highest annual income was The Charities Aid Foundation, at over one billion British pounds. In terms of employment size, the biggest charities were Nuffield Health, and Save the Children International. The charity with the most volunteers was Keep Britain Tidy, followed by Parkrun Global Limited, at 445,080 and 279,710 volunteers respectively. The charity with the highest charitable spending was Wellcome Trust, with an expenditure of around 1.18 billion British pounds.

Telethons in the UK

One of the most effective ways of raising money for charity has been through telethons, and in the United Kingdom is no different in this regard. The annual Children in Need charity of the BBC for example has raised over one billion pounds since it's inception in 1980, while the bi-annual comic relief or 'red nose day' event has also raised significant amounts for charity. Due to a changing media landscape which has seen TV viewing time decline in recent years, the amount raised during telethons has declined, with Red Nose Day in 2023 raising 31.95 million British pounds, compared with 108.4 million in 2011.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by D. Clark, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Number of charities in England and Wales
168,850
Most popular charity in the UK
Cancer Research UK
Average amount people given to charities per month
27 GBP
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Percentage of the population in England who gave to charity from 2013/14 to 2021/22

Nonprofit Organizations

Percentage of people who gave to charity England 2013-2022

Amount raised by Comic Relief and Red Nose Day in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2024 (in million GBP)

Nonprofit Organizations

Amount raised by Red Nose Day in the UK 1988-2024

Amount raised by Children in Need in the United Kingdom from 1998 to 2023 (in million GBP)

Nonprofit Organizations

Amount raised by Children in Need in the UK 1998-2023

Further recommended statistics

Charities

8

Charities

Giving to charity

9

Giving to charity

Volunteering

7

Volunteering

Foodbanks

4

Foodbanks

Further reports

Get the best reports to understand your industry

Charities in the UK
Charities in the UK
Sports and recreation volunteering in the United Kingdom (UK)
Sports and recreation volunteering in the United Kingdom (UK)

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Meredith Alda
Meredith Alda
Sales Manager– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Group Director - LATAM– Contact (Latin America)
Email
latam@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu