Spaniards left a total of €23.3 million inheritance to charity, in 2020. This is according to a study by the platform “HazTestamentoSolidario.org”, which collected data from 21 Spanish non-profit organisations.
At least one NGO is in a so-called ‘charitable will’. This is where the testator indicates which goods or assets they want to leave to the organisation(s). According to the study, by 2020, 616,531 people in Spain will have had a will drawn up by a notary, of which 1,026 will have included one or more NGOs in their will. This is an upward trend compared to the 665 of 10 years ago.
However, despite the fact that “in recent years more and more” people are choosing to leave (part of) their inheritance to charity, Spain is “still far behind” the figures for other European countries such as the UK, where donations via charitable wills account for 7% of the total.
From €70,000 to €300,000
The study also shows social class and wealth do not matter when it comes to donating via a will. The testators have ‘diverse’ profiles and come from very different social classes. The amounts bequeathed vary from an average of €70,000 to €300,000.
According to data from the NGOs that are part of the “HazTestametoSolidario.org” platform, the most common bequest is money. Also donated are securities, real estate, jewellery and works of art. The average amount bequeathed through the platform in 2020 was €74,357.
Profile of the testator
In 2020, 54% of women between the ages of 50 and 60 included charity in their wills, compared to 46% of men of this age. The group aged between 60 and 70 gives the most. Single people in particular, account for 48%, followed by married (30%).
Regarding the autonomous communities, Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque Country are the communities where more solidarity wills are made before a notary.
Regional differences, Madrid in the lead
Madrid is the autonomous community with the highest number of people making a donation through their will. And, as in Catalonia, around €4million went to charity through bequests. In the Basque Country this was €3.2million. This is also where the most is given with an average amount of €121,500. The Balearic Islands, Castilla y León, Andalusia and Asturias also stood out, where more than one million euros were bequeathed to charitable organisations in 2020.
