A new study by the Fraser Institute reveals that charitable donations in Canada are at their lowest point in 20 years.
According to the study, only 17 per cent of Canadian tax filers donated to charity in 2022, the smallest percentage since 2002.
The highest recorded year was 2004 when 25 per cent of tax filers donated.
Jake Fuss, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the report, stresses the impact of this trend.
“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,” Fuss said.
Fraser’s data shows that Canadians donating a part of their household income has decreased, from 0.61 per cent in 2002 to 0.50 per cent in 2022.
For example, if someone earned $50,000 in 2002, they would have donated around $305 on average (0.61 per cent of their income).
In 2022, with the same income, they would donate only $250 (0.50 per cent of their income).
This means not only are fewer people donating, but the average amount donated by each person has also decreased.
Grady Munro, policy analyst and co-author, explains what this means with fewer Canadians donating.
“This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond,” Munro said.
The study found that Manitoba had the highest percentage of donors among the provinces (19.3 per cent) while New Brunswick had the lowest (14.7 per cent).
