This report was commissioned by Wales Council for Voluntary Action as part of a wider research project to build a clear statistical picture on the structure, energy, dynamics, purpose and impact of the voluntary sector in Wales. The study, which draws on data and techniques developed in the long-running Third Sector Trends study shows that the voluntary sector in Wales is large, energetic, productive and impactful.

• There are over 10,500 registered voluntary organisations in Wales.
• The voluntary sector has an annual income of around £2.23billion and its expenditure is about £2.16billion.
• The total financial value of the sector to the economy is estimated at £2.56billion and produces £3.98billion of tangible social value through economic, fiscal and use value.
• Intangible ‘added value’ is judged to be at least equal to the energy invested in the voluntary sector’s work and this adds up to £9.12billion as the total estimated economic value of the voluntary sector in Wales
• The work of voluntary organisations in Wales is supported by 212,200 regular volunteers.
• Collectively, volunteers who regularly give their time to voluntary organisations in Wales deliver 15.3 million hours of work annually which is valued at between £186million (at National Living Wage) or £255million (at 80% of median wage).
• Voluntary organisations in Wales work effectively together: 76% of voluntary organisations work in complementary ways with others in the voluntary sector; 69% work quite closely but in less formal ways and 34% work in formal partnerships arrangements.
• There are some good relationships with the private sector: 31% of voluntary organisations receive money from business to help them work; 27% get free use of facilities or free goods and services; 16% benefit from time given by employee volunteers; and 18% get pro bono professional or technical support.
• The vast majority (86%) of voluntary organisations in Wales (of those which have a relationship with the public sector) feel that their work is valued by public agencies; 65% feel well informed about issues of importance to them; 44% are involved in the development and implementation of policy and 49% feel that public bodies act on their opinions when participating in consultations.
• Relatively few (8%) of voluntary organisations work ‘for’ the public sector by delivering public services under contracts – although the percentage bidding for or delivering contracts rises dramatically to 51% of the biggest voluntary organisations (with income from £1-25m).

The full report is available here: Third Sector Trends in Wales 2025

A summary report is also available: Third Sector Trends in Wales (Summary Report) 2025 

The full report and summary report are also available in Welsh and can be obtained via the WCVA website. WCVA Cymru