Employment
Volunteering
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.
Related topics
Key insight
In 2021, not volunteering was the most common response among residents aged 15 and over in Unincorporated SA, accounting for 60.2% (1,554 people). This share was lower than Regional SA (70.2%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in not volunteering, which decreased by 195 people, while its share rose by 2.5 percentage points.
Section overview
Volunteer work
Unincorporated SA - Persons aged 15+ (Usual residence)
This table summarises volunteering for Unincorporated SA in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional SA and change since 2016.
Volunteer work snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Unincorporated SA, with comparison markers for Regional SA.
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
-121
-0.8pp
Total Not A Volunteer
-195
+2.5pp
Total Voluntary Work Not Stated
-143
-2.0pp
Data table
Volunteering for Unincorporated SA. Volunteer work. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional SA.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional SA% | Count | % | Regional SA% | Count | pp | |
| Total Volunteer | 561 | 21.7% | 22.0% | 682 | 22.5% | 27.8% | -121 | -0.8pp |
| Total Not A Volunteer | 1,554 | 60.2% | 70.2% | 1,749 | 57.7% | 63.0% | -195 | +2.5pp |
| Total Voluntary Work Not Stated | 461 | 17.9% | 7.8% | 604 | 19.9% | 9.3% | -143 | -2.0pp |
| Total | 2,580 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 3,032 | 100.0% | 100.0% | -452 | 0.0pp |