Table 9 shows the frequency with which 21-year-olds engage in volunteer work of any kind. The following discussion of the results from the table focuses on participation in volunteer work at least once per month by combining the two categories of at least once per week (11.7%) and at least once per month (11.0%). Together these are referred to as at least monthly in the subsequent discussion. For the panel overall, 22.7% participated in volunteer work at least monthly. Tables A9 and A10 provide the corresponding values for males and females separately. Table 9 shows that:
- Young women (24.0%) were only slightly more likely than young men (21.3%) to participate at least monthly in community volunteer work.
- Young people from a higher socio-economic background are more likely to participate at least monthly in community volunteer work. The difference, however, is principally between the highest quintile (27.8%), the middle three quintiles (22.0%, 21.0% and 22.4%, respectively), with the lowest quintile very marginally lower at 19.8%.
- The country of birth of the panel member was not statistically significantly related to their frequency of participation in volunteer work. However, young people whose parents were both born overseas in mainly English-speaking countries (17.6%) or mainly non-English-speaking countries (18.5%) are less likely to participate at least monthly in volunteer work than young people whose parents were both born in Australia (24.8%). Respondents from homes in which English was always or almost always spoken at home have a higher level of at least monthly participation in volunteer work than respondents from homes in which English was sometimes (17.8%) or rarely or never (18.0%) spoken.
- Indigenous youth (28.6%) are not statistically significantly more likely to undertake volunteer work at least monthly than other young people (22.5%), but the direction and size of the relationship is indicative.
- Young people with a disability (27.2%) are more likely to participate in volunteer work at least monthly than are young people without a disability (22.3%).
- Young people from rural areas are more likely to participate in volunteer work at least monthly (27.9%) than are young people from partly rural areas (23.7%) or urban areas (20.0%).
- There is no statistically significant relationship between the type of school attended in Year 9 and the likelihood of participating in volunteer work at least monthly.
- Young people with higher levels of literacy and numeracy are more likely to participate in volunteer work at least monthly. There is relatively little difference among the middle 60% of the population, but the upper and (especially) lower 20% create the overall relationship. The differences appear to be marginally greater for women than men.
- Self-concept is associated with at least monthly participation in volunteer work. Table 9 shows that young people with a more positive self-concept are more likely to participate in volunteer work at least once a month. Some 26% of the fifth of the panel with the most positive self-concept do volunteer work at least monthly, compared with only 18% for the fifth of the panel with the least positive self-concept. Despite the overall trend, the pattern is not always consistent when the results for men and women are considered separately.
- There is no statistically significant relationship (p>0.05) between the number of years of schooling completed and the likelihood of participating in volunteer work at least monthly either overall or for young men and women considered separately.
- Young people in part-time paid work (25%) are more likely to do volunteer work than are young people who do no paid work (22%) or young people in full-time work (20%). This pattern is repeated for young men and women considered separately.
Table 9: Frequency of participation in volunteer work during last year by selected personal characteristics: At age 21, 2001
| Total |
53.9 |
3.1 |
2.4 |
11.3 |
6.6 |
11.0 |
11.7 |
100.0 |
6,876 |
| Sex % |
0.01 |
| Male |
58.4 |
2.9 |
2.4 |
10.1 |
5.0 |
10.4 |
10.9 |
100.0 |
3,201 |
| Female |
49.6 |
3.4 |
2.5 |
12.5 |
8.0 |
11.6 |
12.4 |
100.0 |
3,675 |
| Socioeconomic status % |
0.00 |
| Top quintile |
47.5 |
2.2 |
2.9 |
11.8 |
7.7 |
13.3 |
14.5 |
100.0 |
1,622 |
| 60% to 80% |
51.7 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
12.7 |
7.5 |
10.6 |
11.4 |
100.0 |
1,533 |
| Middle quintile |
55.0 |
4.2 |
2.0 |
11.4 |
6.3 |
9.5 |
11.5 |
100.0 |
1,373 |
| 20% to 40% |
56.8 |
2.9 |
1.9 |
10.5 |
5.5 |
11.3 |
11.1 |
100.0 |
1,236 |
| Bottom quintile |
58.5 |
3.3 |
2.3 |
10.2 |
6.0 |
10.1 |
9.7 |
100.0 |
1,112 |
| Country of birth of resp. % |
0.08 |
| Australia |
53.4 |
3.1 |
2.3 |
11.5 |
6.7 |
11.3 |
11.6 |
100.0 |
6,208 |
| Other English-speaking |
54.1 |
2.9 |
4.8 |
10.5 |
5.5 |
6.1 |
16.1 |
100.0 |
227 |
| Non-English-speaking |
59.2 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
10.0 |
5.8 |
8.6 |
10.3 |
100.0 |
441 |
| Country of birth of parents % |
0.00 |
| Both non-English-speaking |
59.7 |
3.0 |
3.2 |
10.2 |
5.5 |
9.4 |
9.1 |
100.0 |
876 |
| Both overseas Eng-speaking |
61.9 |
2.6 |
5.0 |
8.2 |
4.7 |
6.8 |
10.8 |
100.0 |
300 |
| Other |
54.6 |
3.9 |
2.9 |
10.9 |
7.2 |
9.1 |
11.3 |
100.0 |
1,500 |
| Both born in Australia |
51.6 |
3.0 |
1.9 |
12.0 |
6.8 |
12.3 |
12.5 |
100.0 |
4,200 |
| English spoken at home % |
0.01 |
| Always or almost always |
53.2 |
3.2 |
2.4 |
11.4 |
6.7 |
11.1 |
12.0 |
100.0 |
6,408 |
| Sometimes |
61.7 |
2.6 |
2.1 |
10.4 |
5.4 |
9.6 |
8.2 |
100.0 |
382 |
| Rarely or never |
56.5 |
0.6 |
5.5 |
12.2 |
7.2 |
9.3 |
8.7 |
100.0 |
86 |
| Indigenous person % |
0.09 |
| Yes |
47.0 |
5.6 |
2.7 |
8.4 |
7.6 |
12.9 |
15.7 |
100.0 |
132 |
| No |
54.0 |
3.1 |
2.4 |
11.4 |
6.6 |
10.9 |
11.6 |
100.0 |
6,744 |
| Disability % |
0.02 |
| Yes |
50.2 |
3.7 |
1.0 |
11.5 |
6.4 |
12.5 |
14.7 |
100.0 |
508 |
| No |
54.2 |
3.1 |
2.6 |
11.3 |
6.6 |
10.9 |
11.4 |
100.0 |
6,368 |
| Location % |
0.00 |
| Urban |
56.3 |
3.2 |
2.5 |
10.7 |
6.3 |
9.9 |
11.0 |
100.0 |
3,429 |
| Partly rural |
52.0 |
3.3 |
2.5 |
11.8 |
6.6 |
11.5 |
12.2 |
100.0 |
2,911 |
| Rural |
47.7 |
1.6 |
1.8 |
12.7 |
8.3 |
15.2 |
12.7 |
100.0 |
536 |
| Type of school % |
0.08 |
| Government |
55.7 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
10.5 |
6.2 |
10.7 |
11.7 |
100.0 |
4,420 |
| Catholic |
50.7 |
3.9 |
3.0 |
13.3 |
7.4 |
11.5 |
10.1 |
100.0 |
1,342 |
| Independent |
48.7 |
2.9 |
2.4 |
12.7 |
7.4 |
11.6 |
14.2 |
100.0 |
1,114 |
| Literacy & numeracy % |
0.00 |
| Top 20% |
47.6 |
2.7 |
2.5 |
12.6 |
9.0 |
12.8 |
12.9 |
100.0 |
1,787 |
| 60% to 80% |
50.6 |
3.4 |
2.5 |
13.2 |
6.5 |
11.9 |
11.8 |
100.0 |
1,581 |
| Middle quintile |
54.6 |
2.4 |
2.8 |
11.7 |
6.0 |
11.0 |
11.5 |
100.0 |
1,437 |
| 20% to 40% |
56.1 |
3.6 |
1.7 |
9.1 |
6.3 |
10.3 |
12.8 |
100.0 |
1,190 |
| Lowest 20% |
60.5 |
3.6 |
2.7 |
10.0 |
5.2 |
8.9 |
9.2 |
100.0 |
881 |
| Self-concept % |
0.00 |
| Most positive 20% |
48.2 |
3.7 |
2.6 |
11.4 |
8.0 |
12.8 |
13.4 |
100.0 |
1,282 |
| 60% to 80% |
50.9 |
3.9 |
3.5 |
12.0 |
6.4 |
10.7 |
12.5 |
100.0 |
1,339 |
| Middle quintile |
53.2 |
2.7 |
2.2 |
11.7 |
5.2 |
12.9 |
12.1 |
100.0 |
1,475 |
| 20% to 40% |
57.8 |
2.2 |
2.4 |
11.0 |
6.6 |
9.9 |
10.0 |
100.0 |
1,363 |
| Least positive 20% |
58.9 |
3.1 |
1.6 |
10.6 |
6.8 |
8.6 |
10.4 |
100.0 |
1,417 |
| Year left school % |
0.06 |
| Year 12 |
52.2 |
3.2 |
2.4 |
12.0 |
7.0 |
11.4 |
11.8 |
100.0 |
5,765 |
| Year 11 |
59.0 |
4.1 |
2.4 |
8.7 |
5.8 |
9.7 |
10.2 |
100.0 |
690 |
| Year 9 or 10 |
63.9 |
1.0 |
3.0 |
8.4 |
3.1 |
8.6 |
12.0 |
100.0 |
421 |
| Current activity in 2001 % |
0.00 |
| Full-time work |
57.1 |
2.8 |
2.2 |
11.0 |
6.5 |
10.4 |
9.9 |
100.0 |
2,724 |
| Part-time work |
49.7 |
3.3 |
2.5 |
12.2 |
6.9 |
12.4 |
13.0 |
100.0 |
2,809 |
| No paid work |
54.9 |
3.5 |
2.9 |
10.3 |
6.1 |
9.5 |
12.8 |
100.0 |
1,343 |
See Notes to Tables