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Patterns in Household Giving: Evidence From U.K. Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

James Banks  and
Sarah Tanner
James Banks
Affiliation:
Institute for Fiscal Studies, London WC1E 7AE, U.K.
Sarah Tanner*
Affiliation:
Institute for Fiscal Studies, London WC1E 7AE, U.K.
*
2Correspondence should be directed to Sarah Tanner, Institute for Fiscal Studies, 7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE, U.K.; e-mail: stanner@ifs.org.uk.
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Abstract

The Family Expenditure Survey provides a long time series of household-level data on U.K. charitable giving, which previously has not been exploited. Data analyzed for the period 1978-93 reveal a long-term decline in the proportion of households giving to charity, which persists once we control for changes in other characteristics that affect giving, such as income and wealth. The biggest declines in the number of givers are among younger and poorer households. We also draw out generation-specific trends in a way that is crucial to thinking about future trends in funding for the voluntary sector.

Résumé

Résumé

L’enquête sur les dépenses des familles permet de recueillir d’importantes séries temporelles portant sur les dons des ménages britanniques. Jusqu’à présent, ces données n’ont pas été exploitées. Cet article se donne pour objectif d’analyser ces données sur la période 1978-93. Cette étude révèle sur le long terme un déclin de la proportion des ménages qui font des dons à des oeuvres de bienfaisance. Une fois les évolutions des variables susceptibles d’affecter les dons, comme le revenu ou la santé, maîtrisées, on continue d’observer cette baisse du pourcentage des ménages donateurs. La baisse la plus significative est observée parmi les jeunes ménages et les ménages pauvres. Des tendances spécifiques aux générations semblent également se dessiner. Ce résultat est crucial en ce sens qu’il amène à s’interroger sur l’évolution des sources de revenus du secteur sans but lucratif.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Das ‘Family Expenditure Survey’ stellt Langzeitdaten über Spenden britischer Haushalte bereit, die bisher nicht ausgewertet wurden. Dieser Aufsatz stellt eine Analyse der Daten für den Zeitraum von 1978-1993 vor. Er enthüllt eine langfristige Abnahme des Anteils von Haushalten, die für wohltätige Zwecke spenden, die auch dann Bestand hat, sobald wir Veränderungen anderer Charakteristika, die Spenden beeinflussen, kontrollieren, wie z. B. Einkommen und Wohlstand. Den größten Rückgang an Spenderzahlen gibt es unter jungen und armen Haushalten. Wir zeichnen außerdem generationenspezifische Trends nach, die entscheidend für das Nachdenken über zukünftige Trends bei der Finanzierung des gemeinnützigen Sektors ist.

Resumen

Resumen

El Sondeo Sobre Gastos Familiares proporciona una serie de datos existentes desde hace mucho tiempo sobre las donaciones para obras benéficas a nivel familiar en el Reino Unido, algo que hasta ahora no había sido explotado. Este artículo ofrece un análisis de los datos recogidos durante el período 1978-93. Revela una disminución a largo plazo en la proporción de hogares que hacen donativos para causas benéficas, y esto es algo que persiste una vez que tomamos en cuenta los cambios en otras características que influyen en las donaciones, como por ejemplo el nivel de ingresos y la riqueza. El mayor descenso en el número de donantes se da entre las familias más jóvenes y más pobres. Además, trazamos tendencias generacionales específicas de tal forma que resultan cruciales a la hora de plantear el curso a seguir en el futuro para la financiación del sector voluntario.

Keywords

United Kingdomdonationshousehold datatime trends

Information

Type
Research Note
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , June 1999 , pp. 167 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University

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