A will used to be something people put off until they felt old enough to need one. New data from online will platform Safewill suggests that’s changing, and the shift is showing up in an unexpected place: not the big capital cities, but the regional and coastal areas where Australians are choosing to start over.
Growth is fastest where people are putting down new roots
Tasmania has emerged as the fastest-growing state for will-writing, with the number of Tasmanians writing a will increasing 73.6 per cent year on year — the highest growth rate of any state or territory. South Australia and Victoria follow at 62 per cent each, then the ACT (61 per cent), Queensland and the Northern Territory (59 per cent each), New South Wales (46 per cent) and Western Australia (32 per cent).
Tasmania’s growth is real, though it’s worth noting it comes off a considerably smaller base than larger states — so smaller shifts in raw numbers translate into a bigger percentage jump.
The pattern is even sharper at the postcode level. The five fastest-growing regional postcodes for will-writing nationally are all classic “tree change” or “sea change” destinations: Kingscliff and Casuarina in NSW (up 285 per cent), the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria (up 275 per cent), Kiama in NSW (up 247 per cent), the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland (up 233 per cent), and Merimbula in NSW (up 219 per cent).
Safewill founder and CEO Adam Lubofsky says the pattern reflects a broader link between major life changes and getting affairs in order. “It’s telling that the sharpest growth we’re seeing isn’t in the biggest capital cities, it’s in the places Australians are choosing to build a different kind of life,” Lubofsky says. “When people make a big move, whether that’s a tree change, a sea change, or simply putting down new roots, it often prompts them to think about the future and get their affairs in order.”
For the sector, that’s a useful signal about timing. A move, a relocation, or a major life transition appears to be one of the moments people are most receptive to thinking about their will — and, by extension, what they might choose to leave behind.
Related story: Why every NFP needs a gifts in wills strategy
A will is becoming a statement of values, not just family provisions
Beyond geography, the data points to a shift in how Australians think about what a will is for. Animal causes remain the most popular category for charitable bequests by volume, but they’re no longer where the growth is. Humanitarian and equality causes are growing fastest, up 19 per cent year on year, followed by health and medical research bequests (up 17 per cent) and environment causes (up 9 per cent).
Lubofsky frames this as a change in what people expect a will to express. “A will has always been about family, but we’re seeing more and more Australians use it to make a statement about the causes and communities that matter to them too,” he says. “It’s a really meaningful way to extend your impact beyond your own lifetime.”
For charities relying on gifts in wills as part of their fundraising strategy, this points to real opportunity beyond the traditionally dominant categories — humanitarian, equality and health-focused causes appear to be resonating with a growing share of donors making this kind of decision.
Pets are also part of the picture
One of the more unexpected shifts in the data is a sharp rise in Australians formally providing for their pets after death, with wills that include a named pet guardian or care provision up 54 per cent year on year. It’s a small but telling detail about how people think about legacy today — increasingly holistic, and not limited to human dependents or financial assets alone.
What this means for the sector
Taken together, the data suggests two things worth paying attention to. First, will-writing is growing fastest among people going through major life transitions, which may be a more useful moment to reach potential legacy donors than age alone. Second, the causes people are choosing to support through their will are shifting — with humanitarian, equality and health-related causes seeing the fastest growth, even as animal welfare remains the largest category overall.
Lubofsky says the broader goal is simply making the process less daunting. “We won’t remove the uncertainty that comes with change, whether that’s a move, a growing family, or simply getting older, but a valid, up-to-date will removes so much of the guesswork for the people and causes you care about.”
Ritchelle is Content Team Manager at Akolade, producing stories for Australia's not-for-profit sector at Third Sector.
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