Australians’ donations to charity grew by just 2% in the 12 months ending February 2015, down from the 10% growth experienced in the 12 months to February 2014, according to the latest NAB Charitable Giving Index released recently.

According to the report, the slowdown in giving growth “mirrors some key findings from our Consumer Anxiety Reports which shows that Australians are responding to heightened stress by cutting back spending on “non essentials”, including charitable donations.

“Slower growth in charitable donations has also occurred against a backdrop of below trend economic growth and rising unemployment,” the report said.

Our Community reported on other findings in the report:

  • The average donation size for all charities increased by $2 over the past year to $336 per donor, with nearly all charity sectors experiencing an increase in average donation size.
  • Charities in the “animals and environment” and “health and disability” categories saw a small percentage increase in donations, while a number of other charity categories saw noticeable falls.
  • Giving from people in regional areas grew by 2.9% in the year to February 2015, while in metro areas, growth was 1.8%.
  • The top postcodes for charitable giving by state were: Bellevue Hill (NSW), Deakin (ACT), Middle Park (Vic), South Hobart (Tas), Myrtle Bank (SA), Cottesloe (WA), Fannie Bay (NT) and Yeronga (Qld).
  • Average annual donations by Australians grew as they got older.

A summary of the results can be found in the infographic below.

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