Facts & figures
On this page you'll find the key statistics on the size and shape of the Scottish voluntary sector
About the sector
The voluntary sector in Scotland is made up of thousands of charities, social enterprises, community organisations, and more.
On this page you'll find up-to-date, reliable information and the key statistics about:
- The size and shape of the Scottish voluntary sector
- Sector funding and finance
- The people who make up the voluntary sector workforce in Scotland
For a condensed overview of the sector, you can head to:
- About the Sector: gives an overview of the sector including key features and facts.
- State of the Sector 2026: frequently updated key figures and trends for the current year.
Ilse Mackinnon,On this page you can explore data about the organisations and people that make up our essential sector. If you have questions or want to know about something that isn't covered here, please contact our research team.
Research Officer – SCVO
Data about the sector's organisations and people
Size and shape
In this section of our data you'll find information on:
- The number of voluntary organisations in Scotland
- The main activities of organisations
- How many charities are in your local area
- Local authority and constituency tables
- Interactive maps
- New charities and charity closures
- Charity info by deprivation area (SIMD)
- Rural and urban information.
Funding and finance
In this section of our data you'll find information on:
- the sector's total turnover
- main income sources
- spending
- assets and reserves
- key financial trends.
People
In this section of our data you'll find information on:
- the numbers of volunteers in the sector
- the numbers of paid staff in the sector
- top sector employers
- staff costs
- staff pay and Living Wage info.
Other data sources
Key voluntary sector data from other Scottish and UK sources