Fewer young volunteers in 2019

1 in 5 young volunteers active for sports clubs

Young people are most likely to volunteer for sports associations (20 percent), followed by schools (11 percent) and youth organisations (9 percent). This is followed by care and nursing, hobby and social associations, churches and religious organisations (around 5 percent each). A small share of young people are active as volunteers for cultural associations, neighbourhood and local community organisations or trade unions.
Boys (22 percent) are more likely to volunteer for a sports association than girls (18 percent). Seven percent of the girls volunteered in care services against 3 percent of the boys. The differences between boys and girls were similar in 2017. Furthermore, in 2017 more girls than boys volunteered for a youth organisation, a church or a religious organisation.

Motives for volunteer work

Most young people indicate they volunteer because they enjoy it (56 percent) or because they want to do something for someone else (43 percent). Around one-third of the 15 to 24-year-old volunteers cite constructive use of free time, the chance to learn new things or the social interaction as their main motivation. Only 1 in 5 young volunteers find it their duty to do volunteer work. A minor share (12 percent) see volunteer work as a potential springboard towards paid employment.
In 2017, a larger share of young people volunteered because they enjoyed it (65 percent) compared to 2019. That year, the share who indicated their motivation was social interaction was smaller (23 percent).