Evidence library

CAF's UK Giving Report 2026 provides a detailed view of how people across the UK are giving today, the trends shaping public generosity, and the practical recommendations that can help charities strengthen their resilience and plan for the future. Drawing on nationally representative data, the report offers clear insight into shifts in donor behaviour and supports charities in navigating an increasingly complex giving landscape.

Key Findings

• In 2025 the British public donated an estimated £14 billion - This is a decline from £15.4 billion in 2024 and is the first decrease in total giving since 2021. The decrease is driven by lower average donations in 2025 (£65, down from £72 in 2024).
• The latest figures follow many years in which the number of donors declined but overall donation levels stayed stable, the impact mitigated by a small number of high-value donors donating larger amounts. Last year, however, both donor numbers and donations fell.
• One in five people say they cannot afford to give to charity - Lack of affordability is the main reason people do not donate, and is common across all demographics. 49% of non-donors say they cannot afford it.
• There are six million fewer donors compared to 10 years ago - Over the past decade, the number of charity supporters has declined significantly. In 2016, an estimated 37 million adults donated or sponsored someone (equating to 69% of adults). But, by 2025, this had declined to around 31 million to (55% of adults) — a drop of around six million people. The decline was steepest during the pandemic, with a cumulative loss of nearly four million donors throughout 2020 and 2021.
• The decline in donors has cost charities an estimated £12.4 billion over the last 10 years - If the public had continued to give each year at the same rate as they did in 2016, an estimated £12.4 billion more would have gone to charities. This is on par with a year’s worth of giving. The CAF data shows a decline in giving across all age groups and all cause areas
• The CAF data shows a decline in giving across all age groups and all cause areas

See also
https://www.cafonline.org/services-for-charities/resources/understanding-donor-decline-and-what-charities-can-do

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/mar/16/fewer-britons-giving-charity-donations-down-14bn
"Charity giving was no longer a "deeply embedded cultural norm" amid rising
living cost pressures, and a more sceptical society, said the Caf managing
director, Mark Greer: "Charities can no longer depend solely on habitual
generosity or goodwill from the public," he said.

The consequences have been felt across the voluntary sector in recent
months, with even some of the UKs biggest charities - including Macmillan
Cancer Support, Samaritans and Oxfam - making big cuts to staff and
budgets."