There’s no question that volunteer travel has seen a recent surge in popularity, but just how many people are spending their vacation days building schools in developing nations? And who are these volunteers? Do men or women spend donate more time? Is a 54 year-old unmarried doctor more likely to volunteer than a 22 year-old college student?

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics breaks down last year’s volunteer travelers into several demographics and offers a useful glimpse into the make up of volunteers in the United States.

2006 by the Numbers

Total U.S. Volunteers: 61.2 million

Percentage of U.S. population that represents: 26.7

Percentage decline in participation from 2005: 2.1

Percentage of Women who did volunteer work: 30.1

Percentage of Men: 23

Average hours volunteered by Women during 2006: 50

Average hours by Men: 52

Most likely age to volunteer: 35-54

Least likely: 16-24

Median hours volunteered by those 65 and over: 104

Median hours by ages 25-34: 36

Percentage of married persons who volunteer: 32.2

Percentage of unmarried persons: 20.3

Percentage of full-time employees who volunteer: 27.3

Part-time: 35.5

Chance that a volunteer was asked to participate: 43%

That they took the initiative themselves: 40%

Full Data here