Giving in the UK is often compared with American philanthropy. This resource offers a brief overview of the similarities and differences in giving between the two countries.
Size of the sector
There are 162,440 general charities in the UK.
The Charity Commission had 180,909 charities on its register in December 2010. This includes charities in other categories, for example, universities, housing associations, religious organisations and 'quangos', such as the British Council.
