voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
State of the Sector 2026: Scottish Voluntary Sector Key Trends
Created: 26/08/2026News/Events Category: Volunteering
How big is Scotland’s voluntary sector, and what are the key trends shaping it?
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) have released their State of the Sector research for 2026. It brings together the latest figures on the size, finances, workforce and reach of Scotland’s voluntary sector.
With over 46,500 organisations, 136,000 paid staff and more than £11bn in annual turnover, the sector plays a vital role across Scotland.
The research also highlights growing financial pressures, with 44% of Scottish charities spending more than their income in 2025.
Main takeaways
- Over the past decade, the Scottish charity sector’s income and expenditure have risen by nearly 80%, increasing from just over £5bn in 2015 to just under £10bn in 2025.
- Almost half of the increase in income and spending reflects the need to keep pace with inflation.
- Much of the remainder is driven by rising costs — particularly in areas such as staffing, insurance, and utilities.
- More critically, the paid workforce has increased by just a few thousand over the same period (and has remained flat for the last five years) while the number of volunteers has declined slightly.
- Taken together, this suggests that despite apparently steady financial growth, the sector faces growing demand without any real corresponding increase in capacity.
Click here to read the report.
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