Charities Aid Foundation says giving no longer a ‘deeply embedded cultural norm’ amid rising cost of living
Britain is rapidly losing the charity habit, with public donations to good causes plummeting by more than £1.4bn last year and millions of people saying they can no longer afford – or do not want – to give, according to an analysis.
The Charities Aid Foundation (Caf) said in its annual report that, while the British remained generous at heart, society was witnessing a big transformation in attitudes towards charitable giving. Just half of people gave to charity in 2025, down from 61% a decade earlier.
Charity giving was no longer a “deeply embedded cultural norm” amid rising living cost pressures, and a more sceptical society, said the Caf managing director, Mark Greer: “Charities can no longer depend solely on habitual generosity or goodwill from the public,” he said.
The consequences have been felt across the voluntary sector in recent months, with even some of the UKs biggest charities – including Macmillan Cancer Support, Samaritans and Oxfam – making big cuts to staff and budgets.
