Have Canadians Become Less Generous? Study Tracks 2 Decades of Donation Trends

A magnifying glass enlarges the holographic image of Parliament Hill's Peace Tower on a $20 bill shown in a display case at the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa on Sept. 4, 2024. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang

Canadians are donating less to charity, with both the number of donors and the donation amounts shrinking, according to a recent study by the Fraser Institute.

The study, titled “Generosity in Canada: The 2024 Generosity Index,” shows that the percentage of tax filers who donated to charity has fallen to its lowest point in 20 years.

The conclusion is based on data analyzed from personal income tax returns for 2022, the most recent year for which comparable data are available to the public, the think tank noted.

Nationwide, just 17.1 percent of tax filers had declared making donations in 2022. That’s the lowest proportion since at least 2002 (25.1 percent), and a significant drop from the peak of 25.4 percent in 2004, according to the authors.

In addition, the percentage of aggregate income donated to charity for those who reported having done so, has also decreased from 0.61 percent in 2002 to 0.50 percent in 2022.

“[T]he data shows Canadians are consistently less charitable every year, which means charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need,” said study co-author Jake Fuss, director of Fiscal Studies at the Fraser Institute, in a news release on Dec. 10.

Most and Least Generous Provinces

Among the provinces, Manitobans were the most generous givers in the 2022 tax year, the study found. The province had the highest percentage of tax filers donating (19.3 percent) and the highest percentage of aggregate income given to charity (0.71 percent).

Conversely, Quebec reported the lowest percentage of aggregate income donated at 0.26 percent, though its proportion of tax filers who donated to charity claimed the third spot at 17.4 percent, just behind Ontario at 17.6 percent.

Atlantic Canadians are among the least generous countrywide, the authors found.

New Brunswick had the smallest proportion of tax filers donating to registered charities, at 14.7 percent, followed closely by Newfoundland and Labrador at 15.4 percent and Nova Scotia at 15.6 percent.

In terms of share of their aggregate income, N.L. donated the second smallest proportion at 0.28 percent (ahead of only Quebec), followed by Nova Scotia (0.40 percent), New Brunswick (0.42 percent), and Prince Edward Island at 0.43 percent.

When it comes to dollar terms, Alberta had the highest average yearly donation at $3,438, followed by British Columbia at $2,997 and Manitoba at $2,637.

As for the territories, data indicated the Northwest Territories and Nunavut donated more than most provinces, at $2,984 and $2,886, respectively—even though their percentage of tax filers donating to charity are among the lowest in Canada. The percentage ranges from 5.2 percent in Nunavut to 10.8 percent in N.W.T to 14.6 percent in Yukon.

“Quebec ranked last among the provinces and territories with an average yearly value of charitable donations of $1,094—less than half the national average of $2,308,” the authors wrote.

The study highlights the potential impact on Canadian charities’ ability to support community services and address the needs of vulnerable populations.

“This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond,” study co-author Grady Munro, policy analyst at the Fraser Institute, said in the release.