England & Wales

Pence in the Pound

An unofficial reading of the Charity Commission register

Pence

England & Wales register

How many pence in the pound go to the cause?

Public fundraising72.3pMedian for charities that spend 12% or more of their spending on raising funds. See how they are spread.

Ranked list of 15,244 registered charities that file a spending split with the Charity Commission — income of £500,000 or more. 171,868 charities are on the register; search also returns smaller ones, which have no spending breakdown.

Total sector income
£108.4bn

Every registered charity, including those below £500,000

Government funding
£18.8bn

Grants and contracts reported. Blank answers are not included

Mean average
89.3p

All filers. Pulled down by the long tail below 100p

Registered charities

171,224 charities were on the register at the end of 2025.

The last 25 year-ends, from 2001. The line falls in 2009, when more charities were removed than joined, and dips again in 2022.

150k160k170k180k2001200520092013201720212025
Main charities only, counted if they were registered on 31 December and not yet removed. 171,224 at the end of 2025. The register held 171,868 on 12 October 2026.

How income is distributed

The top 1% of charities receive 67.0% of sector income.

1,719 charities, out of 171,868 on the register, account for £72.9bn. Charities that reported no income are still counted in the 1%.

  • Top 1%

    67.0%

    1,719 charities · £72.9bn

  • Next 9%

    25.8%

    15,468 charities · £28.1bn

  • Next 40%

    6.8%

    68,747 charities · £7.42bn

  • Bottom half

    0.4%

    85,934 charities · £420.9m

Where sector income comes from

£101.9bn reported for financial years ending in 2024. The register does not split gifts into the public, companies and trusts. Government grants and contracts were £17.7bn and already sit inside these slices, mostly under charitable activities.

£50bn

Charitable activities 49.1%

Fees for services, and contracts to deliver work

How the sector spends

Charities with income over £500,000 spent £92.5bn in 2024. That is most of the sector’s £100.9bn expenditure. Smaller charities do not file this split. Grants they award (£17.8bn) sit inside charitable activities.

£81.3bn

Charitable activities 87.9%

Delivering the work, including grants made

Sector income against UK industries

Charity income is money received. Industry figures are ONS gross value added — output minus inputs — for the whole UK in 2024. Not the same measure, but the closest official scale.

  • Agriculture, forestry & fishing

    £18.5bn

    UK GVA, 2024

  • Hospitality

    £73.5bn

    UK GVA, 2024 · accommodation & food

  • Charities

    £108.4bn

    England & Wales register income

  • Construction

    £154.3bn

    UK GVA, 2024

  • Manufacturing

    £231.9bn

    UK GVA, 2024

  • Wholesale & retail

    £247.2bn

    UK GVA, 2024