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The National Giving Study examines the giving behaviours of people in Singapore. Conducted every two to three years since 2000, the study has historically focused on volunteerism and charitable donation. This 2025 edition broadens that scope—recognising everyday acts of informal helping alongside more structured forms of giving.
NGS 2025 draws on a nationally representative survey of 3,699 people in Singapore conducted between July and October 2025. It adopts a criteria-led measurement approach that asks about specific behaviours rather than asking people to self-identify as ‘volunteers’ or ‘donors’. As the survey was conducted at a single point in time, the findings describe associations rather than establish causality.
The findings show that giving behaviours are widespread. Giving in Singapore flows through various channels, both informal and structured—from personal networks and daily encounters to wider communities. About three in four people have engaged in some form of giving, and 68% did so in the past year. Among more structured forms of giving, 21% volunteered and 45% donated monetarily or in-kind.
Beyond participation rates, NGS 2025 examines what enables and constrains volunteerism and donation:
Role models and peer influence encourage engagement—having role models while growing up lays the foundation for volunteerism and donation, while peer networks reinforce participation
Supportive environments matter—domestic support from one’s personal networks can encourage volunteering, as would a supportive workplace
Perceptions affect decisions—beliefs about the financial resources and skills requirements for volunteering may discourage participation, while time-related beliefs shape volunteering patterns
Time pressures shape participation patterns—work, childcare, and caregiving demands affect whether and when people volunteer
Online engagement relates differently to offline action—staying informed encourages participation, while frequent online expression may reflect a distinct form of civic engagement rather than a pathway into volunteering or donation
NGS 2025 also found that volunteers tend to interact with people from different backgrounds—across housing types, education levels, ethnicities, nationalities, and occupations. More frequent volunteers tend to have even broader and more diverse social connections. These patterns suggest that volunteerism is associated with greater social mixing across diverse groups, contributing to Singapore’s social fabric.
Overall, the findings point to opportunities for strengthening the conditions and pathways that enable more people to participate in structured giving, building on a willingness to give that is already present in Singapore.