Canadian charitable giving falls to lowest level in two decades: Fraser Institute
A new Fraser Institute report reveals that Canadian charitable giving has fallen to its lowest level in two decades.
A new Fraser Institute report reveals that Canadian charitable giving has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, raising concerns that this decline in generosity could hinder the ability of charities to support communities in need.
Canadian charitable giving has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, according to a new report from the Fraser Institute.
The study, The Generosity in Canada: The 2025 Generosity Index, found that only 16.8 per cent of Canadian tax filers donated to charity in 2023. This continues a long-term decline from 21.9 per cent in 2013 and is the lowest level recorded since the early 2000s.
The share of income Canadians donate has also dropped. Nationally, tax filers gave 0.52 per cent of their aggregate income in 2023, down from 0.55 per cent a decade earlier and significantly below the levels of the early 2000s, when donations regularly exceeded 0.7 per cent.
“Canadians are giving less and fewer Canadians are giving,” said co-author Jake Fuss. “This has real consequences for charities across the country, particularly as demand for services rises.”
The report uses Canada Revenue Agency tax data to compare giving across provinces.
Manitoba again ranked as the most generous province by both measures: 18.7 per cent of Manitobans claimed a charitable donation in 2023, and the province’s total giving amounted to 0.71 per cent of aggregate income. This is more than double the levels in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and much of Atlantic Canada.
New Brunswick had the lowest share of donors at 14.4 per cent, while Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador tied for the smallest share of income donated, at 0.27 per cent.
The Fraser Institute attributes the national decline to two trends: fewer people donating overall, and those who do donate giving smaller shares of their income. Two decades ago, in 2004, nearly one in four tax filers claimed a donation—eight percentage points higher than today.
The report also compares Canada with the United States, where Americans continue to give at significantly higher rates. In 2022, the latest year of comparable data, American tax filers donated 1.53 per cent of aggregate income—roughly triple the Canadian rate.
Authors Fuss and Grady Munro argue the decline in giving could strain community organizations that rely heavily on private donations.
“Canada’s charities are facing more pressure as needs increase,” Munro said. “When fewer Canadians give, and when they give less, charities may struggle to maintain programs or respond to crises.”
While the report does not assess specific causes for the two-decade contraction, it notes that demographic change, declining religiosity, the rising cost of living, and shifting patterns in household finances may all contribute to fewer Canadians donating.
The authors emphasize that tracking generosity is important because charitable giving remains a vital pillar of Canada’s social fabric.
“Without sufficient donations, many charities will struggle to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond,” the report said.