Where people volunteer: small country towns lead, and the big cities trail
At the 2021 Census, 15.1% of people aged 15 and over had volunteered for an organisation or group in the past year, down from 20.7% in 2016. In small South Australian towns such as Keith, Robe and Jamestown the rate was above 36%; in parts of Sydney's west and south-west it was under 5%. Hobart and Canberra had the highest rates of the capitals, Sydney and Melbourne the lowest.
The Census asks everyone aged 15 and over whether, in the past 12 months, they did unpaid voluntary work through an organisation or group, such as a sporting club, a school, a church, an emergency service or a charity. In 2021, 15.1% said yes, down from 20.7% in 2016.
The 2021 Census was held in August 2021, while Sydney and Melbourne were in lockdown, and many clubs and groups had paused through 2020 and 2021. Volunteering fell in every state, by the most in Victoria (from 20.8% to 14.2%) and New South Wales (19.7% to 13.9%), and by the least in Western Australia (20.8% to 17.2%).
Small country towns volunteer the most
Outside the capital cities, among towns with at least 1,000 people answering the question:
| Town | State | Volunteered |
|---|---|---|
| Keith | SA | 38.6% |
| Robe | SA | 37.5% |
| Jamestown | SA | 36.8% |
| Streaky Bay | SA | 36.1% |
| Crystal Brook | SA | 35.6% |
| Augusta | WA | 34.3% |
| Barcaldine | QLD | 33.8% |
| Tathra | NSW | 33.7% |
| Kingscote | SA | 32.8% |
| Port Fairy | VIC | 32.3% |
Six of the top 10 are in South Australia, and all 10 have fewer than 3,000 people answering. Norfolk Island, which is not in a state, came in at 33.0%. Two suburbs that are home to a university ranked higher still: Acton in Canberra, home to the Australian National University (45.6%), and Crawley in Perth, home to the University of Western Australia (35.8%).
The capitals
| City | Volunteered | Highest suburbs |
|---|---|---|
| Hobart | 19.9% | Dynnyrne 34.7%, Taroona 30.6% |
| Canberra | 19.0% | Aranda 30.9%, O'Connor 30.4% (after Acton) |
| Darwin | 17.9% | Fannie Bay 26.1%, Rapid Creek 25.3% |
| Adelaide | 16.1% | Aldgate 31.4%, Crafers West 31.0% |
| Perth | 16.0% | Peppermint Grove 31.9%, Swanbourne 30.0% |
| Brisbane | 14.6% | St Lucia 25.5%, Camp Mountain 25.0% |
| Melbourne | 12.7% | Somers 29.1%, Parkville 26.5% |
| Sydney | 12.3% | Longueville 27.9%, Riverview 26.0% |
Outside the capitals the rate was 17.2%. The lowest rates were in Sydney's west and south-west, under 5% in Kemps Creek, Cabramatta and Fairfield East, and in Melbourne's north-west, about 5% in Albanvale and Coolaroo.
Who volunteers
Women volunteered more than men (16.3% against 13.8%). By age, the rate was highest among people aged 65 to 74 (19.0%), and lowest among those aged 25 to 34 (10.9%) and 85 and over (6.7%). Teenagers aged 15 to 19 volunteered at 14.7%, close to the average.
How we counted
- From the 2021 and 2016 Censuses (ABS, CC BY 4.0): people aged 15 and over who did voluntary work for an organisation or group in the past 12 months, as a share of those who answered the question. Unpaid help given outside an organisation, such as caring for a neighbour, is not counted.
- Suburb figures are shown for suburbs with at least 1,000 people answering. State figures use every suburb, so they include smaller places too.
- "Capitals" are the ABS's urban areas, so Canberra includes Queanbeyan. Results from the 2026 Census will show whether volunteering recovered.
Every suburb page shows its Census profile.