New data shows fewer Canadians donate and the share of income given to charity continues to fall
Financially-squeezed Canadians are giving less to charitable causes as household budgets require tough choices.
A newly released Fraser Institute study on charitable behaviour in Canada reveals that both the share of tax filers who donate and the proportion of income given to charity have continued to decline.
Using data from the 2023 tax year, the Generosity in Canada: Generosity Index 2025 reveals that charitable participation has slipped noticeably over the past decade with the percentage of Canadian tax filers who claimed a charitable donation on their return down from 21.9% in 2013 to just 16.8% in 2023.
Similarly, the share of aggregate income devoted to charity slid from 0.55% to 0.52% over the same period, reflection of both fewer donors and relatively smaller giving amounts.
"The holiday season is a time to reflect on charitable giving, and the data shows Canadians are consistently less charitable every year, which means charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need," said Jake Fuss, director of Fiscal Studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the index.
Manitoba leads provinces in participation, with 18.7% of its tax filers reporting donations, while New Brunswick sits at the lower end of the spectrum with 14.4%. In terms of depth of generosity, Manitobans again top the list by donating 0.71% of their combined income, whereas Quebec and Newfoundland & Labrador both record the lowest share at 0.27%.
On average dollar contributions, Alberta clocks the highest figure per donor, followed by British Columbia and Nunavut; Quebec remains at the bottom with the smallest average donation and well below the national average.
However, all jurisdictions recorded a drop in the percentage of donors between 2013 and 2023, with Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia among those seeing the most significant decreases. Even the territories saw steeper declines, particularly Nunavut.
The Fraser Institute’s index, which focuses on private monetary generosity as captured in tax return data, highlights widening gaps between provinces and persistent declines in generosity measures year over year.
"This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond," said Grady Munro, policy analyst and report co-author.
