Share of Americans Volunteering Hits 15-Year Low

Title: "Where Are America’s Volunteers?”

Organization: Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland

Summary: The share of Americans volunteering has been on the decline for 15 years, hitting a low of 24.9 percent in 2015, the most recent year studied.

However, those who do volunteer are giving more of their time. That factor, along with population growth, pushed total volunteer hours to a peak of 8.7 billion hours in 2014, before dipping slightly in 2015.

The study used Bureau of Labor Statistics data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia to analyze civic engagement among adults through giving and volunteering.

Among the findings:

• The volunteer rate has declined from 28.8 percent in 2005 to 24.9 percent in 2015.
• Analysis of state and metropolitan areas showed that volunteer rates tended to decline in urban areas with fewer places to volunteer.
• Volunteer hours also declined in places where people may be less likely to know their neighbors (like large cities with fewer homeowners and more people living in apartments or townhouses) and in places where there is more economic distress (from high unemployment or high poverty rates).
• Community organizations have received record highs in total volunteer hours served.