Manda Samuel, Abdelatif Nada, Seabe Dineo, Millard Sollie, Kamuruko Tapiwa
Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Biostatistics Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa.
Front Sociol. 2025 Jul 7;10:1584761. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1584761. eCollection 2025.
While there is an increasing recognition of the role of volunteer work in promoting global development, the factors influencing volunteering at both global and regional levels remain poorly understood. This study employed a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of volunteering and to investigate variations in volunteer rates by gender, educational level, and age, both globally and at regional and country levels.
We analyzed data from 49,458 volunteers aged 15 and older across 37 World Values Surveys (WVS) conducted between 2000 and 2018 in 31 countries. Random-effects meta-analysis was employed to calculate the overall prevalence of volunteering and to compare volunteer rates among different demographic groups: females vs. males, individuals with at least a secondary education vs. those with primary education or less, and individuals aged 35 years or older versus those under 35 years.
The overall pooled prevalence of volunteering was found to be 39.93% (95% CI: 33.25-46.62). Significant disparities in volunteering rates were observed across regions and countries, with the highest rates recorded in Africa (61.15%, CI: 50.54-77.77) and the lowest in Europe (28.97%, CI: 19.43-38.51). Rates varied considerably, from a low of 19.16% in Russia (CI: 19.16%-22.76%) to a high of 80.27% in Tanzania (CI: 77.99-82.55%) and 72.00% in Uganda (CI: 69.18-76.22%). Volunteering in religious organizations was the most common type, accounting for 16.77% (CI: 13.76-19.78), followed by community and health organizations at 14.62% (CI: 11.74-17.50). Regional differences were notable, with the highest rates of religious volunteering in Africa at 41.09% (CI: 20.17-62.02) and the lowest in Europe at 8.10% (CI: 5.25-10.95). The pooled relative risks for gender, educational, and age differentials were (RR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.97); (1.20, CI: 1.18-1.36); and (1.00, CI: 0.95-1.05), respectively, indicating that only educational differentials significantly affected volunteering rates. The impact of education on volunteering was more pronounced in Europe (1.54, CI: 1.21-1.97) compared to Africa (1.17, CI: 1.03-1.33).
Volunteering rates vary significantly by region and country, often correlating with individuals' educational levels. These findings are essential for policymakers aiming to enhance volunteer initiatives. By understanding the regional contexts and factors, such as the influence of education level on volunteering, policymakers can develop tailored programs that attract new volunteers and promote retention, ultimately fostering greater community engagement and social cohesion.
虽然人们越来越认识到志愿工作在促进全球发展中的作用，但在全球和区域层面影响志愿服务的因素仍知之甚少。本研究采用随机效应荟萃分析来估计志愿服务的普及率，并调查全球、区域和国家层面按性别、教育水平和年龄划分的志愿者比率差异。
我们分析了2000年至2018年期间在31个国家进行的37次世界价值观调查（WVS）中49458名15岁及以上志愿者的数据。采用随机效应荟萃分析来计算志愿服务的总体普及率，并比较不同人口群体的志愿者比率：女性与男性、至少接受过中等教育的个体与接受过小学教育或以下的个体、35岁及以上的个体与35岁以下的个体。
志愿服务的总体合并普及率为39.93%（95%置信区间：33.25 - 46.62）。各地区和国家的志愿服务率存在显著差异，非洲的比率最高（61.15%，置信区间：50.54 - 77.77），欧洲最低（28.97%，置信区间：19.43 - 38.51）。比率差异很大，从俄罗斯的低水平19.16%（置信区间：19.16% - 22.76%）到坦桑尼亚的高水平80.27%（置信区间：77.99 - 82.55%）和乌干达的72.00%（置信区间：69.18 - 76.22%）。在宗教组织中志愿服务是最常见的类型，占16.77%（置信区间：13.76 - 19.78），其次是社区和健康组织，占14.62%（置信区间：11.74 - 17.50）。区域差异显著，非洲宗教志愿服务率最高，为41.09%（置信区间：20.17 - 62.02），欧洲最低，为8.10%（置信区间：5.25 - 10.95）。性别、教育和年龄差异的合并相对风险分别为（RR = 0.91，95%置信区间：0.86 - 0.97）；（1.20，置信区间：1.18 - 1.36）；和（1.00，置信区间：0.95 - 1.05），表明只有教育差异对志愿服务率有显著影响。与非洲（1.17，置信区间：1.03 - 1.33）相比，教育对欧洲志愿服务的影响更为明显（1.54，置信区间：1.21 - 1.97）。
志愿服务率因地区和国家而异，通常与个人教育水平相关。这些发现对于旨在加强志愿倡议的政策制定者至关重要。通过了解区域背景和因素，如教育水平对志愿服务的影响，政策制定者可以制定量身定制的计划，吸引新志愿者并促进留住志愿者，最终促进更大程度的社区参与和社会凝聚力。
