SINGAPORE - A record $1.25 billion was donated in the past 12 months despite fewer donors, a recent survey commissioned by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre showed.

The biennial Individual Giving Survey revealed that 83 per cent of the 1,800 people polled this year said they gave money to charities. This is down from 91 per cent in the 2012 survey.

The latest survey also showed a corresponding increase in the amount donated by each person, explaining the growth in donations. The average amount each person gave annually was $379, up from $312 in 2012.

While Singaporeans still preferred giving money to volunteering, the average volunteer hours rose to 93 hours compared with the 72 hours cited in the earlier survey. The volunteer hours was higher in the 2010 survey in which 104 hours was recorded.

The number of regular volunteers also went from 11 to 18 per cent. People preferred to help by befriending, giving tuition and cleaning up after the needy, the survey which was started in 2000 showed.