NSW Minister for Volunteering, Linda Burney joined volunteers to launch National Volunteer Week. "NSW has around 1.4 million volunteers - more than any other State," Ms Burney said.
41% of the adult Australian population volunteer their time to support a range of community activities, their unpaid effort is estimated to be worth almost $3 billion per year.

She said " National Volunteer Week is about highlighting the important work that these people do and recognisting their valuable conytribution, not only to the communities and organisaitons they serve, but to society generally. We know that communities with a strong commitment to volunteering are more cohesive and harmonious".

• Volunteering Facts:
• 41% of adult Australian population volunteers, donating 836 million hours, an average of 132 hours each per year.
• A higher percentage of adult Australian volunteer than Americans or Canadians.
• By Gender
• Women are more likely than men to volunteer and on average volunteer more hours over a year. As a result they contributed 60% of hours dedicated to volunteering.
• 46% of women living in Australia volunteer compared to 36% of men.
• By Age
  People aged 35-44 volunteer more than any other age group, with people aged 45-54 the second hightest group.
• People aged 55-64 dedicated more hours for volunteer work.
  
• Younger and older volunteers contributed with the largest number of mean hours for volunteering.
• By Education-level
• The volunteer rate increases with the level of education attained. However, the average hours given decrease with increasing educational attainment. In this sense, Bachelor, post graduate and certificate or diploma holders are most likely to volunteer but give less hours than school level volunteers.
• School level volunteers donate significantly more hours than other groups representing 56% of total hours volunteered. The second group composed of Bachelor, post graduate and certificate or dipoloma holders contributed 23% of total hours
• By Employment Status
• Full time and Part time employees contribute with more than 50% of total hours of volunteer work.
• Almost 50% of Part Time paid employees volunteer.
• The group composed by unemployed are far less likely to volunteer than any other group.
• By Occupation
• Managers, professionals and other white-collar workers are most likely to volunteer. These groups represent 77% of the total hours of volunteer work.
• By Household-type
• Single parents volunteer more frequently, and for more hours on average (129 mean hours) than people from two-parent families (123 mean hours volunteered).

Source: Giving Australia: Research on Philanthropy in Australia (2005)