It is also very diverse and complex as the following material indicates:

• The sector contributes 3.5% of GDP (excluding volunteers); approximately 6% with the inclusion of voluntarism.
• Charitable giving is 0.68% of GDP.
  
• The sector makes a greater contribution to GDP than communications, agriculture and forestry & fishing industries (both 3.5% of GDP), electricity, gas and water, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, personal and other services, and cultural and recreational industries.
  
• The sector contributed approximately $21 billion to the economy in 2003, or approximately $30 billion with the value of volunteer input added.
  
• If volunteer input is added, GVA represents 4.9%, greater than value added by government administration and defence (4.1%) and mining (4.6%)
• 5% of all Social Economy (nonprofit) organisations in Australia employ staff. The scale of the Social Economy in Australia is illustrated in broad terms in Figure 2. In all, there are approximately 750,000 organisations in the Social Economy. Approximately 400,000 of these are incorporated. 3,500 of these organisations employ 20 or more personnel; and there are 35,000 employers. Approximately 20,000 organisations have DGR (tax concession and charitable status). Further data may be found in Appendix 2.