Stewardship, a financial support organization, has published its third report examining current trends in financial giving and generosity by U.K Christians. The latest 64-page report puts the ethical value of trust at the center of its enquiry with the understanding that giving is not just about capacity or conviction but also relational.
“This year, we have therefore paid special attention to the impact that perceptions of integrity, transparency, accountability and reliability have on the way Christians give,” said the report.
“We believe this focus on trust is timely as new challenges continue to erode public trust in UK institutions: political scandals, polarisation on social issues, failings in public services and the covert use of artificial intelligence, all of which contribute to a growing atmosphere of scepticism.
“For churches, Christian charities and individuals raising support for Christian work, understanding the impact of their perceived trustworthiness is essential as they seek both to sustain existing generosity and to inspire new relationships with prospective donors.”
Janie Oliver, Chief Executive Officer of Stewardship, explained that the methodology for the latest study had been adapted to more in-depth conversations during qualitative interviews with participants. She also said that leaders, churches and other Christian organisations had used the previous two reports “to build a clearer picture of how generosity flourishes among God’s people in the UK and how it can grow still further.”
“This third report takes that conversation deeper by exploring the vital role of trust in generosity because generosity is not just about capacity or conviction – it is also relational,” said Oliver. “When we give, we place trust in others to steward what God has entrusted to us. When that trust is strong, generosity becomes bold and joyful; when it is fragile, giving can falter.”
Key findings related to trust are that trust in a local church leads to greater generosity. Younger givers are also more open to teaching on generosity and donation appeals. However, less Christians are giving in response to appeals.
More than 25% of Christians give from their personal financial savings. Trust also leads to gratitude and joy in giving, said the report. The wealthy, the young and ethnic minority Christians expect to give more, is another finding. Regular teaching on generosity also helps build trust. Lastly, younger Christians talk more about giving.
Average monthly giving by Christians has dropped from £124 ($170) to £116 ($159) since the prior report.
“This equates to 4.7% of their monthly income after tax to all causes,” said the report. “This is 0.6% lower than last year’s research” — adding elsewhere in the report that it was “not a significant decline” and attributed it to fewer Christians giving financially.
Average monthly giving to Christian causes stood at £91 ($125) per month, less than the £98 ($134) in the previous period. By comparison, average monthly giving to secular causes is noted at £25 ($34) per month, a pound less than the prior year (£26 [$36]).
“This breaks down into an average of £91 ($125) or 3.7% per month being given to Christian causes (churches, Christian charities and Christian workers) and a further £25 ($34) or 1% per month to secular causes. 4.7% of the average Christian income equates to £116 ($159) per month,” said the report.
“On average, £42 ($58) goes to church, £30 ($41) to Christian charities, £19 ($26) to Christian workers and £25 ($34) to secular charities.”
Average committed monthly Christian giving is £326 ($447) per month — an increase since last year’s amount of £314 ($430).
“Committed Christians give an average of £326 ($447) a month, equating to 10.4% of their income,” said the report. “This breaks down into an average of £262 ($359) or 8.4% of the total going to Christian causes and £64 ($88) to secular charities.
“While the amount committed Christians are giving away has increased by £12 ($16) a month from last year, the proportion of income given after tax has decreased by 0.8%. This is because the average proportion of income after tax given takes into consideration the average annual wage of the sample, which has increased over the last year.”
Five distinct personas that drive how Christians approach charitable giving are noted in the report, categorized by their motivations and life stages. Motivation-based donors include the impact-driven, who prioritize measurable results and transparency, and the relationship-driven, who give based on personal stories and community connections. Theology-driven givers view generosity as a joyful act of biblical worship and are motivated by scriptural teaching and leadership integrity.
Demographic factors also shape these habits, with younger givers in their 18s and 20s often balancing tight budgets by offering time and hospitality alongside smaller, story-led donations.
Conversely, older givers focus on long-term stewardship, often utilizing strategic, tax-efficient gifts and legacies to support ministries they have vetted for competence.
Across all categories, the report finds that donors are most likely to disengage when they encounter vague goals, financial waste, or manipulative appeals.
The report also made a sharp observation about the Biblical principle of tithing and the “giving gap”, which is the difference between actual and potential giving based on the principle of tithing.
“If every Christian adopted the biblical principal of tithing, defined in this report as giving 10% of monthly income after tax across all charitable causes, the total amount being given to all causes would be an average of £245 ($336) a month or £129 ($177) more than it is currently.”
The giving gap – that is the discrepancy between actual and potential giving based on the tithing principle – has increased by £17 ($23) from £112 ($153) to £129 ($177) since the 2025 report, said the report.
“Alongside this, the percentage given as a proportion of income has decreased by 0.6% from 5.3% to 4.7%.”
The report also reported “reasons to be encouraged” in that among committed and practising Christians, “generosity remains both strong and steady.” Gratitude for the gospel of Jesus Christ, alongside blessings such as family, friends and comfort was also noted in the report as the “starting place for almost all Christians’ generosity.”
“This gratitude for God’s generosity towards them in turn leads to a sense of responsibility to respond by being generous towards others, seeking to steward well what has been given to them, out of love and obedience. Cultural Christians are an exception to this trend, for whom being part of something that could make a difference and the impact on their community are the greatest motivators.”
For a second consecutive year, 96% of Committed Christians have given to their church,” noted the report about encouraging data. “Among practising Christians, this figure has even increased slightly – from 93% to 95%. Support for Christian charities also remains robust, with 89% of committed and 86% of practising Christians continuing to give.”
Our hope is that the findings in this year’s report can help to unlock the giving potential indicated by these numbers,” added the report.
