The charity register 2025

Drawing on data from over 7,000 registered charities, a new report from the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland offers a valuable snapshot of the charity sector.

The report, available here, provides a detailed analysis of the 7,258 charities registered by the Commission between December 2013 and July 2025.

This includes insights into key areas, including:

• a profile of charity trustees
• staffing and volunteer numbers
• charitable purposes and beneficiaries
• types of governing documents
• income and spending

Between April 2016 and March 2025, the Commission got 40,095 financial returns from charities in Northern Ireland, which show that charities brought in £18.9 billion and spent £18.08 billion during that time.

The research report also looks at the age of charity trustees. It found that 61% are aged 45 or older, and 3% are over 85. , reflecting the experience and dedication of those leading charitable organisations.

Another key point is the importance of volunteers. As of July 2025, registered charities reported a total of 155,984 volunteers, demonstrating the scale of community involvement and support across the sector.

It is hoped that the report will help inform future policy, funding decisions and public engagement with the sector.