Charity sector income has grown by �10bn in last five years

Charity sector income has grown by �10bn in last five years: The gross income of the charity sector has increased by over 20 per cent in the last five years, from �48.4bn in 2008 to �58.48bn in 2012, the Charity Commission's latest figures reveal.

The Commission publishes annual figures for the charity sector at the end of each year based on income reported by charities in their annual returns. The figures show a steady increase in the sector's income since 2008 despite fluctuation in the total number of charities which has resulted in an overall reduction from 168,354 in 2008 to 162,915 in 2012. This represents a 20.8 per cent income boost to the sector despite a 3 per cent reduction in the number of charities.