Leisure Time in Our Community - Characteristics Of Volunteers: Age

The chart above shows the percentage of adult volunteers by age group for the years 1987-1998. The pattern of volunteerism among many of the age groups follows the overall pattern of volunteerism. There are some exceptions. One exception is in the 18-24 year old range. While overall volunteerism increased between 1993 and 1995, the percentage of 18-24 year olds volunteering decreased. Another exception was in the 65-74 year old range. From 1991 to 1993, overall volunteerism decreased, but this group's percentage of volunteers increased. This group also has seen a steady increase of volunteers, unlike the volatile fluctuations in volunteerism among the rest of the age groups.

Those in the 75 year old and older group have a different pattern than other groups. From year to year, when total volunteerism was up, those in the 75-year-old and over group saw their percentage of volunteers go down, and vice versa. The only exception was from 1995 to 1998. In this case, both overall volunteerism and the percentage of volunteers 75 years old and over went up. An interesting pattern to note: from 1991 to 1998, the volunteerism pattern of those with only an elementary school education (as seen in the previous panel) and those who were 75 years old and over were identical. The pattern was the opposite from 1985-1991 for these two groups.

Throughout all the years shown, those within the 35-44 and 45-54 year old range had the highest percentage of volunteers. They were also the only age groups that had a higher percentage of volunteers than average In 1998, 67.3% of 35-44 year olds and 62.7% of 45-54 year olds volunteered compared to 55.5% of the entire adult population. Children in their high school and college age groups, at one end of the spectrum, and aging parents at the other may be part of the explanation for these high rates of participation.

The next panel discusses the racial characteristics of volunteers.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1991, 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2001.