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The report, titled "Back to Normal? Voluntary Participation in Norway, 1998–2023", was recently unveiled during Arendalsuka. Audun Fladmoe, a researcher at the Institute for Social Research and affiliated with the Centre for Research on Civil Society and Voluntary Sector, presented the latest findings in collaboration with The Association of NGOs in Norway (Frivillighet Norge).
"The main takeaway is that the pandemic didn’t cripple volunteerism. The proportion of people volunteering remains high, though the total amount of time dedicated to volunteering has decreased slightly. Overall, the sector has fared well," Fladmoe summarized.
A strong comeback for Volunteerism
The Norwegian spirit of collective effort remains strong. More than 60 percent of the population reporting that they have volunteered for at least one organization in the past year — similar to pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 40 percent had volunteered within the last month.
"Although the proportion of people volunteering remains consistently high, the type of tasks they are taking on has shifted," Fladmoe explained.
While many continue to volunteer, they are now spending less time on their efforts, and fewer individuals are spreading their engagement across multiple organizations. Over time, there has been an increase in those who prefer hands-on activities such as community work, coaching, charity efforts, or activism. Conversely, there’s been a decline in the number of volunteers taking on roles related to board positions and other management or administrative tasks.
Young Men Falling Behind
Interestingly, while more of the older population is participating in volunteer work, the participation rate among men under 30 has declined post-pandemic. Despite overall volunteer numbers remaining stable, fewer young men are engaging, which has led to an increase in the average age of volunteers.
"We're seeing a growing number of the older population getting involved in volunteer work, but at the same time, there’s been a drop in participation among young adults—especially young men, whose participation rate has fallen by 10 percentage points," Fladmoe noted.
"While it’s important to keep an eye on these trends moving forward, the voluntary sector in Norway has managed to weather a few turbulent years remarkably well," Fladmoe concluded.
Learn More
The report "Back to Normal? Voluntary Participation in Norway, 1998–2023" offers a deeper insight into the current state of volunteering and the challenges that lie ahead. You can read the full report here or get a quick overview of the key findings here (Norwegian).
Curious about who’s volunteering in Norway? Visit our page "Who Are the Volunteers?" (Norwegian) where you can explore the data for yourself and conduct your own analyses.