How many charities are there in the UK?
There is no single UK count, because each part of the UK keeps its own register. On 13 October 2026 the Charity Commission register listed 171,874 main charities in England and Wales, plus 13,755 linked charities. OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator, was registrar for 24,953 charities in Scotland. Northern Ireland's register, run by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, is still being built as charities are called forward to register.
Most registered charities are small. In England and Wales 51,904 had income under £5,000, while the 1,725 with income over £10 million received £72.5 billion of the £108.3 billion total, the Commission's income band figures show.
The figures change daily. Some charities appear on more than one register, and in England and Wales charities with income under £5,000, and exempt or excepted charities, do not have to register.
Related questions
- Do all charities have to register?
- How do I check if a charity is registered?
- Who regulates charities in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about charities and volunteering: all Charities and volunteering questions.