Nearly 30,000 persons aged 12 and over were involved in voluntary work last year. according to the Income and Living Conditions Survey, the NSO said.

The largest share of these volunteers dedicated their time to a voluntary organisation, while just under one per cent did informal voluntary work, such as
helping out a neighbour or relative, the NSO said.

The majority of persons doing formal voluntary work were aged between 25 and 49, while informal voluntary work was more popular among persons aged 50-64.

Those who did voluntary work with a voluntary organisation mostly performed work related to institutional care, at 34 per cent. 

Forty-four per cent of men and 37 per cent of women had been doing voluntary work for more than a decade. Most volunteers engaged in such activities for less
than 10 hours per week, while 5,900 dedicated more than 30 hours per week for such work.

On average, men spent five hours more per month in voluntary activities. While the average number of hours was not seen to vary by age group, it did change according to main activity status, from an average of 20 hours per month for working persons to 40 hours per month for unemployed persons.

Nearly half the volunteers said they were doing so because they felt it was their moral duty, with a further 18 per cent doing so to meet new people or for recreation.