SINGAPORE - The amount of donations to charity last year hit $970 million - about 6 per cent less than the record $1.031 billion raised in 2012.

The office of the Commissioner of Charities (COC) revealed this in its annual report on Thursday.

But tax-deductible donations have been rising overall over the past 10 years, "reflecting the public's increasing support for local charitable causes over the years", it said.

The COC, Mr Low Puk Yeong, said: "Donors are no longer just going by the objects and programmes of the charities but also how well-governed and transparent they are. Charities need to be both effective and accountable. We will focus our attention on this area and hope that more individuals and corporations will step forward to support charitable causes."

The latest COC annual report is available at www.charities.gov.sg.