Fraser Institute News Release: Canadian generosity hits lowest point in 20 years

VANCOUVER, BC, Dec. 10, 2024 /CNW/ - The number of Canadians donating to charity—as a percentage of all tax filers—is at the lowest point in 20 years, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.

"The holiday season is a time to reflect on charitable giving, and the data shows Canadians are consistently less charitable every year, which means charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need," said Jake Fuss, director of Fiscal Studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Generosity in Canada: The 2024 Generosity Index.

The study finds that the percentage of Canadian tax filers donating to charity during the 2022 tax year—just 17.1 per cent—is the lowest proportion of Canadians donating since at least 2002. Canadians' generosity peaked at 25.4 per cent of tax-filers donating in 2004, before declining in subsequent years.

Nationally, the total amount donated to charity by Canadian tax filers has also fallen from 0.61 per cent of income in 2002 to 0.50 per cent of income in 2022.

The study finds that Manitoba had the highest percentage of tax filers that donated to charity among the provinces (19.3 per cent) during the 2022 tax year while New Brunswick had the lowest (14.7 per cent).

Likewise, Manitoba also donated the highest percentage of its aggregate income to charity among the provinces (0.71 per cent) while Quebec donated the lowest (0.26 per cent).

"A smaller proportion of Canadians are donating to registered charities than what we saw in previous decades, and those who are donating are donating less," said Fuss.

"This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond," said Grady Munro, policy analyst and co-author.

Generosity of Canadian provinces and territories

Province/Territory (ranking in 2024 Generosity Index)	% of tax filers who claimed charitable donations	Average dollar value of all charitable donations	% of aggregate income donated to charity
Manitoba	19.3	$2,637	0.71
Ontario	17.6	$2,559	0.56
Quebec	17.4	$1,094	0.26
Prince Edward Island	16.9	$1,736	0.43
Saskatchewan	16.8	$2,344	0.48
British Columbia	16.4	$2,997	0.60
Alberta	16.4	$3,438	0.63
Nova Scotia	15.6	$1,758	0.40
Newfoundland and Labrador	15.4	$1,243	0.28
New Brunswick	14.7	$1,883	0.42
Yukon	14.6	$1,944	0.26
Northwest Territories	10.8	$2,984	0.26
Nunavut	5.2	$2,886	0.15

NOTE: Table based on 2022 tax year, the most recent year of comparable data in Canada

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The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to measure, study, and communicate the impact of competitive markets and government intervention on the welfare of individuals. To protect the Institute's independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.org

SOURCE The Fraser Institute

MEDIA CONTACTS: Jake Fuss, Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute; Grady Munro, Policy Analyst, Fraser Institute; To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Media Relations Coordinator, Fraser Institute, Tel: [phone] Ext. 721, E-mail: [email protected]