The U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, announced the release of the 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS), Civic Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) Supplement Microdata File. It is the most robust longitudinal survey about volunteerism and other forms of civic engagement in the United States. The data can support evidence-based decision-making and efforts to understand how people make a difference in communities across the country.
The CEV data will provide information on:
- The number of individuals involved in unpaid volunteer activities.
- Formal and informal volunteering including frequency and intensity.
- The extent to which individuals in the United States are civically active.
- Other types of participation in civic life such as donating to charity, participating in organizations, and political engagement.
- How individuals perceive the relationship between their work and civic activities.
- How volunteering, charitable giving, and other forms of civic engagement vary by geography, demographics and socioeconomic status.
- How the COVID-19 pandemic affected volunteerism and organizational membership.
- How civic life in America has changed over time.
The Census Bureau conducts this AmeriCorps-sponsored survey. Data were collected from Sept. 19-28, 2021. The CEV takes the pulse of our nation’s civic health every two years.
CEV data are available on census.gov through Volunteering and Civic Life.
AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement.