There are 50,000 faith-based charities in England and Wales, with a combined income of £16.3bn, according to new analysis published by think tank NPC .

Faith matters, analyses the size, scope and missions of faith-based charities in England and Wales, as part of a larger project on understanding the role and impact of religion in the voluntary sector.

The project has identified 27,535 Christian charities, 2,147 Jewish charities and 2,054 Muslim charities, as well as smaller numbers of charities associated with other faiths. Faith matters also examines the income of these charities, and finds:

• Christian charities have a combined income of £11bn
• Jewish charities have a combined income of £1bn
• Muslim charities have a combined income of £500m
• Quaker charities have a combined income of £100m

NPC also found that this income is concentrated in a relatively small number of very large charities. Major and super-major charities – organisations worth over £10m – command nearly 60% Christian charities’ income; over 40% Muslim charities’ income; and a third of Jewish charities’ income.

Faith matters also finds that religious charities make up nearly half of all overseas aid charities (49%) and human rights charities (45%), as well as 4 in 10 anti-poverty charities (39%). Meanwhile, the area where the greatest number of religious charities work is education and training (20,858).