As the size of government has grown, charitable giving is dropping. That common-sense finding was detailed in the study Whose Job Is It to Care for the Poor? from the Fraser Institute. It explains that government social spending has nearly doubled since 1961, from 4.8 percent of our GDP to more than 9 percent in 2025. Over the same time, the percent of tax filers who give anything to charity decreased from 24.5 in 1961 percent to 16.8 percent in 2023.
There are multiple reasons for this. Writing in the Financial Post, columnist Matthew Lau explained that when governments spend more, it has to tax more, which impacts how much people can give. He also pointed to some economists that explain that people simply conclude that since the government is taking care of things, they don’t have to.
But things become clearer when we look at the worldview angle to this story. From a biblical perspective, we understand that our giving flows from our hearts. It is an act of worship and love, in response to the LORD’s love for us. Although the report didn’t look at the changing faith commitment, the fact that weekly religious attendance has dropped from about 50 percent in the early 1960’s to 9-13 percent more recently, it makes sense that fewer Canadians have hearts that have been touched by God’s love and grace.
The data backs this up. In contrast to the general population, where 16.8 percent give to charity, Statistics Canada data shows that 75-91 percent of religious Canadians who attend services weekly give to charity. As this group becomes a smaller part of the population, the number of givers also declines.