Philanthropic giving from UK-based HNWs rises to £12.4bn

High net worth (HNW) individuals in the UK gave approximately £12.4bn to charities and good causes in 2025, analysis from Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management (PBWM) has shown.

This represented an increase of around £1.1bn, or 9.7 per cent, compared to 2024.

Barclays PBWM’s The Modern Philanthropist report, co-authored with New Philanthropy Capital, found that charitable giving had “become the norm” for HNW and ultra HNW individuals in the UK.

In 2025, 94 per cent of people with more than £1m in investable assets gave to good causes, up from 88 per cent in 2021.

This upward trend looks set to continue, with over half of HNW donors planning to increase their giving over the next 12 months.

Among those with investable assets of more than £10m, 72 per cent expected to increase their donations.

However, the level of philanthropic giving varied widely, with the lowest-giving donors with between £1m and £5m giving an average of £400 last year, compared to £52,100 among the highest-giving 10 per cent.

For those with between £5m and £30m in investable assets, this ranged from £1,400 to £119,300.

Barclays PBWM said the findings highlighted that financial capacity was only one part of the picture, as confidence, experience, and conversations with family and advisers all influenced whether positive intentions led to longer-term giving.

Rising wealth, financial performance, and experience as a donor were all found to encourage a deeper commitment.

Charities played a key role in building donors’ confidence, with 38 per cent of donors reporting being ‘somewhat’ satisfied with their experience.

HNW donors were likely to welcome greater engagement with the charities they support, Barclays PBWM noted, with charities having an opportunity to turn positive sentiment into higher levels of giving.

The report also highlighted that donors who discussed charitable giving with a financial adviser were more committed than those who did not.

Six in 10 advised donors planned to give more over the next 12 months, compared to 29 per cent of those who had not received advice.

Advised donors also reported better relationships with the organisations they fund, and gave more money to charity and good causes on average.

However, 22 per cent of HNW donors said they had received no guidance from their adviser or wealth manager on their giving.

This increased to 30 per cent of those with between £1m and £2m of wealth, and 46 per cent of HNW retirees.

“It’s hugely encouraging to see philanthropy continuing to grow, with £12.4bn given to good causes last year,” commented Barclays PBWM head of philanthropy, Isabelle Montague-Johnstone.

“But what this research also shows is that wealth alone doesn’t determine how much people give.

“Confidence, experience and having the right conversations all matter.

“By bringing advisers, charities and families into those conversations earlier, we can help more people turn an intention to give into meaningful, long-term impact.”

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