The Fraser Institute released The 2024 Generosity Index, which found that the number of Canadians donating to charity—as a percentage of all tax filers—is at the lowest point in 20 years. The Generosity Index measures private monetary generosity using two key indicators: the percentage of tax filers donating to charity indicates the extent of generosity, while the percentage of aggregate personal income donated to charity indicates the depth of charitable giving. Canada’s 10 provinces and 3 territories comprise the jurisdictions included in the index. Data from the 2022 tax year—the most recent year for which comparable data are available for Canadian jurisdictions- was leveraged for the index. The Generosity Index depicts the stark differences in charitable giving among the Canadian provinces and territories.

Key Findings from the Index:

• Manitoba had the highest percentage of tax filers that donated to charity among the provinces (19.3%) during the 2022 tax year, while New Brunswick had the lowest (14.7%).
• Manitoba also donated the highest percentage of its aggregate income to charity among the provinces (0.71%), while Quebec donated the lowest (0.26%).
• Nationally, the percentage of Canadian tax filers donating to charity has fallen over the last decade from 22.4% in 2012 to 17.1% in 2022.
• The percentage of aggregate income donated to charity by Canadian tax filers has also decreased from 0.55% in 2012 to 0.50% in 2022.
• This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond.

For further information about the findings, click here.