Over 76,000 benefit from NGO services

There were 76,101 beneficiaries of services provided by NGOs in 2007, a survey by the National Statistics Office found.

The survey, carried out in 2007 found that 86,125 residents in Malta and Gozo are members of a non-governmental organisation.

The NSO said that a survey among 330 non-governmental organisations in Malta and Gozo in 2007 found that 81 percent of these were paying members.

Beneficiaries of services provided by NGOs totalled 76,101. Of these, 75 per cent were females. More than half of these beneficiaries fell into the 65+ group and 42 per cent were aged 25-64.

Most of the NGOs operated with the help of voluntary workers and a total of 5,674 voluntary workers were reported. There were also 1,097 full-time and 762 part-time employees.

The NSO said that an estimated total of €31 million were spent by the NGOs surveyed. About half the sum went for staff wages and salaries. Operational costs and donations was the next major expense for most NGOs, accounting for 16 percent and 12 percent of their costs, respectively.

Social work activities with accommodation reportedly incurred the most expenses – with the expenditure being attributed to these accounting for nearly half the total expenditure of NGOs.

A total income of €37 million was reported by the NGOs with donations accounting for 44 percent of this.