Registered charities in England and Wales had a combined income of more than £71bn and employed almost a million people, according to annual returns filed with the Charity Commission in the period to March 2016.

The figures show that charities had an income of £71.2bn and also recorded investment gains – increase in the capital value of assets – of more than £7bn. Charities employed 965,000 people, and had assets of £196bn.

Total spending by charities was £67.8bn.

The figures are calculated from annual returns received by the Commission in the year up until March 2016 and shown on the regulator's website. Those returns mostly cover the periods to December 2015 and March 2015, with some covering the period to December 2016.

These statistics comes from information gathered about all the registered charities in England and Wales, and are updated quarterly.