Which charitable cause has the highest median income?

Accommodation and housing charities report the highest median gross income on the Charity Commission register at £53,344. Religious activities charities are second at £45,077, and human rights, equality and diversity charities third at £42,649. These are medians, so half the charities in each group report less than the figure shown.

Which charitable cause has the lowest median income?

Environment, conservation and heritage charities report the lowest median income at £15,000. Amateur sport charities (£17,542) and general charitable purposes charities (£18,386) are the next lowest. Lower median income does not mean these charities are less effective; it reflects the funding models typical of those cause areas, which often rely on volunteers, small grants and local giving rather than large contracts or major donors.

Why does income vary so much between charitable causes?

Different causes are funded in fundamentally different ways. Housing and accommodation charities often hold property and run larger operations, which pushes their typical income higher. Environment and amateur sport charities are frequently small, volunteer-led and locally funded, which keeps their typical income low. The difference is about the structure of funding in each sector, not the quality of the charities within it.

What does median income by cause mean?

For every charitable cause classification, we take the midpoint (median) of the latest reported gross income across all charities carrying that code. The median is used rather than the average because charity income is heavily skewed: a handful of very large charities would otherwise pull the average far above what a typical charity in that cause group actually reports.

Can one charity be counted under several causes?

Yes. The Charity Commission classifies charities by what they do, who they help, and how they operate, and a single charity can carry several classification codes. Because of this, the charity counts across causes add up to more than the total number of registered charities. Each figure counts charities carrying that classification code, not unique organisations.

Where can I see the full data?

The complete ranking of median income for all 24 cause classifications, along with reserves health and methodology notes, is available in our UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index at /research/uk-charity-cause-income. It is built from the Charity Commission full register extract published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Charity Finance

Which Charitable Causes Earn the Most? Median Income by Cause

20 July 20265 min read

Analysis of the Charity Commission full register extract shows median charity income varies more than threefold across charitable causes, from £53,344 for accommodation and housing charities down to £15,000 for environment and conservation charities. This article sets out the full ranking, explains why income differs so much between causes, and what the figures mean for trustees benchmarking their own charity.

Key takeaways

Accommodation and housing charities report the highest median income at £53,344, followed by religious activities charities at £45,077 and human rights, equality and diversity charities at £42,649.
Environment, conservation and heritage charities report the lowest median income at £15,000, with amateur sport (£17,542) and general charitable purposes (£18,386) close behind.
The spread is more than threefold from top to bottom, which reflects how each cause is funded rather than how well run its charities are.
Median income is the typical charity in each cause group, not the average, because a small number of very large charities would otherwise distort the picture.
A single charity can be classified under more than one cause, so the counts describe charities carrying each classification code rather than unique organisations.

Not all charitable causes bring in the same money. Analysis of the Charity Commission full register extract shows that the typical accommodation and housing charity reports gross income of £53,344, while the typical environment and conservation charity reports just £15,000.^[1] That is a more than threefold gap, and it is not a story about which charities are better run. It is a story about how each cause is funded.

This article sets out the full income ranking across all 24 cause classifications, explains why the gaps are so wide, and gives trustees a way to read the figures against their own charity. The complete dataset is in our UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index.^[1]

What the data measures

The Charity Commission for England and Wales classifies every registered charity by cause: what it does, who it helps, and how it operates. For each classification we take the median (midpoint) of the latest reported gross income across all charities carrying that code.^[1]

The median matters here. Charity income is heavily skewed, because a small number of very large national charities sit within almost every cause. If we used the average, those giants would drag the figure far above what a typical charity in the group actually reports. The median describes the charity in the middle of the pack, which is the figure most trustees will recognise.

One important caveat: a single charity can carry more than one classification. A charity supporting disabled children could appear under disability, children and young people, and general public. So the charity counts below describe charities carrying each code, not unique organisations, and they add up to more than the total number of registered charities.

The causes that earn the most

At the top of the income ranking sit three cause groups whose funding models tend towards larger operations:^[1]

Accommodation and housing leads at a median income of £53,344, across 7,639 charities carrying that code. Housing charities frequently hold property, run tenancies and manage larger balance sheets, which lifts the typical figure.
Religious activities comes second at £45,077, across 34,716 charities. This is a large and well-established group, with many congregations running regular giving and building funds.
Human rights, equality and diversity is third at £42,649, across 6,616 charities.
Armed forces and emergency services follows at £41,610, across 986 charities, the smallest of the high-income groups.

These figures show that a typical housing charity brings in more than three times the income of a typical environment charity, purely because of how the sector is structured and funded.

The causes that earn the least

At the other end of the ranking are causes that are typically small, local and volunteer-led:^[1]

Environment, conservation and heritage reports the lowest median income at £15,000, across 18,227 charities. Many of these are small local conservation groups and friends-of societies.
Amateur sport is next lowest at £17,542, across 25,259 charities. Community sports clubs registered as charities often run on membership fees and modest grants.
General charitable purposes reports £18,386, across 55,903 charities, one of the largest groups by count.
Arts, culture, heritage and science reports £20,222, across 29,017 charities.
Children and young people reports £20,986, across 91,167 charities, the single largest group by count.

A low median here is not a sign of weakness. These causes rely on volunteers, small grants and local giving rather than large contracts or major donors, so a smaller typical income is simply how the sector works.

The full ranking in context

Between the extremes sit the largest and most familiar cause groups. Health and saving of lives charities report a median income of £31,974 across 26,964 charities. Disability charities report £29,330 across 25,099 charities, while charities working with people with disabilities (a separate beneficiary classification) report £26,452 across 43,815 charities.^[1]

Prevention and relief of poverty charities report £27,569 across 32,613 charities, and education and training charities, one of the largest groups at 81,021 charities, report £23,810. Elderly and older people charities report £23,090 across 49,393 charities, and overseas aid and famine relief charities report £23,737 across 9,244 charities.^[1]

The full ranking for all 24 classifications, including the causes not listed here, is available in the UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index.

What this means for trustees

The most useful thing a trustee can do with this data is benchmark honestly. If your charity works in environment or amateur sport, comparing your income to a national health charity tells you nothing. Comparing it to the median for your own cause tells you whether you are typical, large or small for the kind of work you do.

Being below the median for your cause is not a problem in itself. Many effective charities are small by design. But it does shape practical decisions: whether to register for Gift Aid, whether you are approaching a scrutiny threshold, and how much reserve you can realistically build. Our Charity Scrutiny Cliff-Edge Monitor shows how many charities sit just below the £25,000 independent examination gate, a threshold many smaller charities cross without realising.

Practical steps that apply across every cause:

Register for Gift Aid as early as you are eligible, so you reclaim the full value of eligible donations from the start.
Keep clean, functional financial records through our charity bookkeeping service, so your income figure on the register reflects reality.
Understand which scrutiny band your income places you in. Crossing £25,000 (£40,000 for financial years ending on or after 30 September 2026) triggers a requirement for independent examination before you file.

A note on jurisdiction

This analysis covers charities registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales only. Scotland is regulated by OSCR and Northern Ireland by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, each with its own register and data releases. Charities in those jurisdictions should refer to their own regulator for comparable figures.

Where to go next

The full dataset behind this article, covering median income and reserves health for all 24 charitable causes, is available in our UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index. For a companion read on how much free reserve charities in each cause actually hold, see our analysis of charity reserves health by cause.

For hands-on support with your accounts and reserves policy, our charity accounts service covers annual accounts, the reserves policy and the trustees' annual report. Use the contact form to discuss your charity's position.

Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales, full register extract, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Data processed and presented in the UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index (Trustee Tax, generated 2026-07-20). Median income is each charity's latest reported gross income, taken as the midpoint across all charities carrying that cause classification. A charity may carry more than one classification, so counts describe charities with that code, not unique organisations. Registered, main charities only.

Frequently asked questions

Which charitable cause has the highest median income?: Accommodation and housing charities report the highest median gross income on the Charity Commission register at £53,344. Religious activities charities are second at £45,077, and human rights, equality and diversity charities third at £42,649. These are medians, so half the charities in each group report less than the figure shown.
Which charitable cause has the lowest median income?: Environment, conservation and heritage charities report the lowest median income at £15,000. Amateur sport charities (£17,542) and general charitable purposes charities (£18,386) are the next lowest. Lower median income does not mean these charities are less effective; it reflects the funding models typical of those cause areas, which often rely on volunteers, small grants and local giving rather than large contracts or major donors.
Why does income vary so much between charitable causes?: Different causes are funded in fundamentally different ways. Housing and accommodation charities often hold property and run larger operations, which pushes their typical income higher. Environment and amateur sport charities are frequently small, volunteer-led and locally funded, which keeps their typical income low. The difference is about the structure of funding in each sector, not the quality of the charities within it.
What does median income by cause mean?: For every charitable cause classification, we take the midpoint (median) of the latest reported gross income across all charities carrying that code. The median is used rather than the average because charity income is heavily skewed: a handful of very large charities would otherwise pull the average far above what a typical charity in that cause group actually reports.
Can one charity be counted under several causes?: Yes. The Charity Commission classifies charities by what they do, who they help, and how they operate, and a single charity can carry several classification codes. Because of this, the charity counts across causes add up to more than the total number of registered charities. Each figure counts charities carrying that classification code, not unique organisations.
Where can I see the full data?: The complete ranking of median income for all 24 cause classifications, along with reserves health and methodology notes, is available in our UK Charity Cause Income and Reserves Health Index at /research/uk-charity-cause-income. It is built from the Charity Commission full register extract published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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