Since 1999 the German government has measured volunteering every five years in the Freiwilligensurvey. The fifth survey asked 27,762 people aged 14 and over. In 2019, 39.7 percent of them did voluntary work. That is about 28.8 million people. In 1999 the share had been 30.9 percent. People aged 30 to 49 are the most active, at 44.7 percent. Sport and exercise is the largest field, at 13.5 percent.
The federal family ministry presented the results on 18 March 2021. Its press release says: Der Anteil der freiwillig Engagierten in Deutschland ist weiterhin hoch. The share of volunteers in Germany remains high.