Summary Overview-2026 State of the World's Volunteerism Report
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The 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report examines how volunteerism can be measured more effectively to better recognize its contribution to sustainable development. While an estimated 2.1 billion people volunteer every month worldwide, much of this work remains invisible in official statistics, limiting its recognition in policy, planning and investment decisions.
The report reviews the evolution of volunteer measurement, from traditional approaches focused on participation rates and economic value to more comprehensive methods that capture social cohesion, well-being, skills development and community resilience. It argues that volunteer measurement should combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to reflect the full diversity and impact of volunteer action.
The report also presents the latest global estimates of volunteer work and highlights the critical role volunteers play in development, crisis response and community well-being. It emphasizes that volunteer action is often rooted in informal and community-led efforts that are not adequately reflected in existing measurement frameworks.
To address these gaps, the report introduces the Global Index of Volunteer Engagement (GIVE), a new multidimensional framework designed to assess the value of volunteerism to individuals, communities, economies and enabling environments. The report concludes that stronger and more inclusive measurement systems are essential for informing policy, strengthening civic participation and advancing sustainable development outcomes.
SUMMARY
The 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report explores why measuring volunteerism matters and how improved measurement can strengthen policy, investment and public recognition of volunteer contributions. It argues that volunteer measurement is not merely a technical exercise but a strategic tool for accountability, learning and development planning. The report highlights the need to move beyond traditional metrics that focus solely on volunteer numbers, hours or economic value and instead adopt approaches that capture the broader social, developmental and human dimensions of volunteer action.
The report presents updated global estimates showing that approximately 2.1 billion people engage in volunteer work every month, representing 34.5 per cent of the global working-age population. Direct and informal volunteering remains the most common form of volunteer work worldwide, underscoring the importance of recognizing and measuring community-based and informal contributions.
Through an examination of volunteerism in areas such as health, education, economic development and crisis response, the report demonstrates that volunteering contributes to individual well-being, skills development, social cohesion and community resilience. It also highlights the importance of inclusive and context-sensitive measurement approaches that account for diverse volunteer experiences and perspectives, particularly those from the Global South.
A central contribution of the report is the introduction of the Global Index of Volunteer Engagement (GIVE), a new framework built around four dimensions: value to the individual, value to the community, economic value and the enabling environment for volunteerism. The report proposes GIVE as a practical tool for generating comparable evidence, informing policy decisions and strengthening investment in volunteer action.
The report concludes that improving volunteer measurement is essential for recognizing the contributions of volunteers, strengthening development outcomes and supporting more resilient and inclusive societies. It calls for measurement approaches that are participatory, adaptive and context-specific, while encouraging governments, civil society organizations, researchers and development partners to invest in stronger evidence systems that better reflect the full value of volunteerism.
