One in six people takes part in some voluntary activity

More than half a million people, or one in six of the population, participate regularly in voluntary activity, official figures show.

Census figures for last year show those who had recently taken part in voluntary activity were most likely to be middle-aged and middle class and involved with a social or charitable organisation.

Participation rates were highest among professionals and managers (25 per cent) and lowest among unskilled workers (10 per cent). Men and women were equally likely to be involved in volunteering. Social or charitable work was the most common form of voluntary activity (involving 193,000 people), with sporting activities next (180,000).

The relatively high participation rates are likely to come as a relief to many who feared working families, commuting and increasing levels of materialism were affecting volunteerism.

However, the lack of involvement of some groups, such as those from poorer backgrounds and younger people, may help focus the efforts of groups seeking to increase levels of civic engagement and active citizenship.

Those in middle age were most likely to participate in voluntary activity, while rates were lowest among younger people.

The 45-54 age group had the highest participation rate (23 per cent), followed by 55-64 (21 per cent), 35-44 (19 per cent), over-65s (15 per cent), 15-19 (13 per cent), 25-34 (11 per cent) and 20-24 (10 per cent).

The census figures also shed light on disability in Ireland. Almost 394,000 people, representing 9 per cent of the total population, had a long-lasting health problem or disability.

Among children aged up to 14, the number of boys with a disability was significantly higher than the number of girls.

In every category of disability, there were more boys than girls, with the greatest difference in the learning or intellectual disability category, where there were 13,658 boys compared with 6,391 girls.

In the difficulty in learning, remembering and concentrating category, there were 14,017 boys compared with 6,575 girls.

Almost 269,000 (62 per cent) of people with disabilities had more than one disability - up from 188,000 (58 per cent) in 2002.

Of the 347,000 people with a disability living in private households, one in five lived on their own in 2006. The proportion for those aged 65 years and over with a disability was one in three.

Agricultural workers had the highest incidence of disability (11.9 per cent), while those classified as unskilled follow at 11.5 per cent, with farmers next at 10.4 per cent.

Those in better-paid areas, such as higher professionals and employers or managers, had the lowest disability rate at only 5.5 per cent.