The Pali Text Society

Analysis

The Pali Text Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Oxford. It was registered in March 1971, 55 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it makes grants to individuals, provides services and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Pali Text Society reported income of £231k and spending of £357k, spending 155% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £201k to £231k (+15%), an average of +3.5% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 17%. Over the whole period it spent 164% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Pali Text Society sits at the 87th percentile: it is larger than about 86% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 83rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The David Garrick Scholarship (£231k), The Stables Trust Limited (£231k) and The de Laszlo Archive Trust (£230k).

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.