Trust is a dominant theme in our Generosity Report 2026, which reveals fresh insights into the state of Christian giving in the UK.
Key findings:
- Committed Christians - those practising their faith at least weekly - give away over four times the UK monthly giving average.
- Younger Committed Christians are the most generous - the 18-34 age bracket give the highest proportion of their income at 11%.
- Christian giving in response to prompts, including urgent appeals, has dropped by 11%.
- Trust in local church leads to greater generosity - 74% of givers to all causes are Christians who trust their church ‘a lot’.
- Regular teaching on generosity builds trust - 77% of those who trust their church ‘a lot' have heard teaching on generosity in the last year.
About the research:
We commissioned specialist research firm Whitestone Insight again to conduct the research for our third Generosity Report, which explores Christian giving in the UK based on a sample size of just over 6,000. Qualitative data was based on in-depth interviews with 15 Committed Christians selected from the data sample.
The research reviews the gap between current and potential levels of Christian generosity and examines the data to provide comprehensive insights into the impact of faith on generosity and the factors influencing giving behaviour. This year’s report presents eight key findings that are grouped under three headings: ‘Trust and generosity’, ‘Giving habits’ and ‘The future of giving’. It also includes recommendations and links to resources that are designed to help church and charity leaders and Christian workers put the findings into practice.
The link between regular Christian practice and increased generosity is clearly seen again in this year’s report. Committed Christians, who attend church and read the Bible at least once a week, give an average of £326 a month, equating to over 10% of their income. This is four and a half times more than the £72 per month given by UK citizens to all charities according to the Charities Aid Foundation¹.
The average monthly giving for all Christians has decreased slightly since last year’s findings to £116, which is still one and a half times more than the £72 national average. This equates to 4.7% of their monthly income.
If all Christians followed the biblical principle of tithing, which in the report is defined as donating 10% of income after tax, average giving would more than double to £245, which in turn would have a significant impact on the work of churches and charities across the UK. A key aim of the report is to help leaders in the sector close this ‘giving gap’ by helping them to use the insights from the findings to invite and grow generosity.
Trust is a dominant theme in this year’s report with the data pointing to a clear correlation between trust in local church and an increase in generosity - those who trust their church ‘a lot’ make up 74% of givers to all causes and 75% of those giving to Christian causes. When looking at donations to church specifically, almost 90% of those who trust their church ‘a lot’ give to that church, with 61% doing so regularly. In terms of building this trust, teaching on generosity stands out as key – 77% of those who trust their church ‘a lot’ have received such teaching in the last year. The positive correlation between those who have heard teaching in the past year and those who trust ‘a lot’ is also true for other cause areas: 76% of those who trust Christian charities, 81% of those who trust Christian workers and 72% of those who trust secular causes.
For the first time this year, the report introduces five giving personas, exploring what drives and hinders their generosity and suggesting opportunities for engagement. One of these is the younger giver, who is the most generous - Committed Christians in the 18-34 group give the highest proportion of their income at 11%. Moreover, 40% of all Christians in this age group also expect to give more in the next year, which drops to 5% for the 55-64 age group.
18-34s are also the most enthusiastic for regular teaching on generosity with 46% saying they would like their church to teach on the topic at least monthly. This rises to 60% for the Committed Christians in this group. By contrast, only 8% of all Christians in the 55-64 bracket said they want regular teaching.
“Our Generosity Report 2026 explores the vital role of trust in generosity revealing how and why Christians are giving and where trust can be rebuilt or strengthened. It is also exciting to get a more detailed look at the emerging generation of younger Christians who are hungry for faith and are driven by it to be the most generous. We hope that you will be both encouraged by the steadfast generosity evident across God’s people and challenged to consider how we can all play our part to model the kind of integrity that invites trust and releases generosity in others.” Janie Oliver, CEO, Stewardship
Support for our Generosity Report 2026
“Although the Coptic Orthodox Church has historically enjoyed and benefitted from an encouraging presence of young people across our ministries, it is heartening to see this trend now becoming more prevalent across the wider Church, with young people either returning to Church or seeking and finding their spiritual home and comfort there. It is further encouraging to recognise that one of the manifestations of this phenomenon is that young people are giving more to support their own parishes and a variety of benevolent causes. We welcome the work of Stewardship, not only in signposting this trend, but for the role that it continues to have in highlighting the importance of giving, for the individual him or herself, as well as to those who benefit from their generosity.” His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos OBE, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London and Papal Legate to the United Kingdom
“Now in its third year, each successive Stewardship Generosity Report discloses even more insight into how Christian giving can be unlocked. Most striking this year is that the most committed followers of Jesus give dramatically more, and that trust remains the determining factor in releasing generosity. Younger Christians are already showing their older counterparts the way, both in giving away a higher share of their income but also as the most hungry to learn what it means to be a generous Christian. This year’s report gives further practical advice to help churches and charities increase generosity. Everyone wins from this: the bountiful giver who experiences more joy and gratitude than the reluctant one, as well as those on generosity’s receiving end.” Andrew Hawkins, CEO, Whitestone Insight
¹Participants of the survey were asked how much they give to a variety of causes. This figure is the sum of the mean average donation from all Christians to each cause, including those who do not give. For the comparative data from the Charities Aid Foundation, see their UK Giving Report 2025.
Read the report
View and download our Generosity Report, and then please take a moment to complete our feedback survey - we need your input to help us shape next year's report.
About Whitestone Insight
We engaged specialist research firm, Whitestone Insight, to conduct the Stewardship Generosity Report 2025 on our behalf as an independent research project. They assist clients with public policy, marketing and communications.
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Ruth Jackson
Ruth leads the PR and Communications for Stewardship, which she joined in April 2022.
She has over 25 years’ marketing communications experience across a range of sectors, including higher education, technology and the arts, both business- and customer-facing.
Ruth worships and serves at C3 Church in Cambridge, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, a dog and a cat. When she’s not at her desk, you might find her rowing on the River Cam, in a ballet class or out for a walk.
She supports causes that are focused on alleviating global poverty and injustice, with a particular interest in supporting vulnerable children.
