Employment
Volunteering
Volunteer work records whether people aged 15 years and over spent time doing voluntary work through an organisation or group in the previous 12 months. It is a measure of formal volunteering, not all informal help between neighbours, family, or friends.
Related topics
About this topic
Volunteer work records whether people aged 15 years and over spent time doing voluntary work through an organisation or group in the previous 12 months. It is a measure of formal volunteering, not all informal help between neighbours, family, or friends.
This topic can indicate community participation, social connectedness, and the capacity of local organisations to attract volunteers. The 2021 Census should be interpreted carefully because COVID-19 restrictions reduced volunteering activity in many places.
Interpretation notes
- The Census counts voluntary work through an organisation or group, so it excludes informal help given outside formal organisations.
- The question refers to the previous 12 months for people aged 15 years and over.
- 2021 volunteering levels were affected by COVID-19 restrictions in many places, so change over time needs care.
Key insight
In 2021, not volunteering was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Merrylands West, accounting for 84.9% (4,796 people). This share was higher than Cumberland (A) (84.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not volunteering, which increased by 449 people and 3.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Volunteer work
Merrylands West - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises volunteering for Merrylands West in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Cumberland (A) and change since 2016.
Volunteer work snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Merrylands West, with comparison markers for Cumberland (A).
Total Volunteer
Total Not A Volunteer
Total Voluntary Work Not Stated
Chart view
Volunteer work change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
Total Volunteer
-254
-5.1pp
Total Not A Volunteer
+449
+3.2pp
Total Voluntary Work Not Stated
+133
+1.9pp
Data table
Volunteering for Merrylands West. Volunteer work. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Cumberland (A).
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Cumberland (A)% | Count | % | Cumberland (A)% | Count | pp | |
| Total Volunteer | 333 | 5.9% | 7.2% | 587 | 11.0% | 11.1% | -254 | -5.1pp |
| Total Not A Volunteer | 4,796 | 84.9% | 84.2% | 4,347 | 81.7% | 81.5% | +449 | +3.2pp |
| Total Voluntary Work Not Stated | 522 | 9.2% | 8.6% | 389 | 7.3% | 7.5% | +133 | +1.9pp |
| Total | 5,650 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 5,322 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +328 | 0.0pp |