A voluntary response

When asked whether they have volunteered in their community in the past year, First Globals are the most likely of any generation surveyed to say they have -- 64.7% of First Globals volunteered, compared to 58.6% of those 30-49, 59.5% of those 50-64, and 58.1% of those over 65.

Why would First Globals be more likely to volunteer – do they have more free time? More energy? A greater sense of civic responsibility? More dedication to various causes? Other reasons? As this generation grows older, will they still volunteer in high numbers?

Edited to add:

One of commenters wonders how First Globals' patterns of volunteering vary by political ideology. Arthur Brooks, a scholar at Syracuse University and the author of Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism, has made a convincing case that self-identified conservatives are more likely to give to charity, volunteer, and civically engage with their communities than self-identified liberals.

However, when we analyze the responses to our question about volunteering by both age and ideology, our data for this question does not support Brooks' theory. 68.6% of First Globals who say their ideology is progressive or liberal have volunteered, compared to 67.9% of First Globals who say their ideology is moderate, 52.6% of First Globals who say their ideology is conservative or very conservative, and 54% of those who say their ideology is libertarian.

Similarly, of First Globals who identify themselves as Democrats, 74.1% have volunteered, compared to 59.4% of First Global Republicans and 52.3% of First Global Independents.