The CAF World Giving Index, the leading comparative study of global generosity, records the number of people who helped a stranger in the past month, volunteered their time or gave money to a good cause. This year 148 000 people in 140 countries were surveyed as part of the Gallup World Poll.
For the first time since the index began, more than half of people in 140 countries indicated that they had helped a stranger, and record numbers of people had volunteered their time. The number of people worldwide giving money to a humanitarian or other cause, has also increased.
Overall, Myanmar was the most generous country globally for the third year running. The United States was second, making it the most generous nation in the western world, followed by Australia. With a population of 39 million, Myanmar is the least populous country to appear in any of the Top Tens for the number of people participating.
The index is published one month before #GivingTuesday – November 29 – a global day of giving. People are asked to give their time, money or voice to a good cause.
What were the other key findings, except for Myanmar topping the CAF World Giving Index for the third year running?
The UK is the most generous country in Europe, followed by Ireland and the Netherlands.
In many countries, men are significantly more likely than women to engage in volunteering or helping a stranger. However, at the global average level, there’s little difference between men and women when it comes to donating money.
Iraq ranks highest for helping a stranger for the second year running.
Now in its seventh year, it provides a picture of charitable behaviour around the world. The CAF World Giving Index measures the average percentage of people in each country who donate money, volunteer or help a stranger.
Germany has dropped out of the Top 10 countries for helping a stranger by number of people. The proportion of Germans saying that they helped a stranger in the month prior to interview has also dropped by six percentage points since last year, with a number of other Central and Western European countries seeing drops on the same measure.
Canada also drops just outside of the Top 10 for participating in donating money, and now ranks in eleventh place due to a slight decline of two percentage points.
This year, 140 countries were surveyed, representing around 96 percent of the world’s population. As has been the case since the World Giving Index was first published in 2010, older people are more likely to give money to charitable causes.
Oceania remains the most generous continent by a considerable margin, maintaining both its fiveyear average and one-year score in 2016. Comprised solely of Australia and New Zealand, Oceania is a conflict-free, economically homogenous continent where barriers to giving will be lower than in many other countries.
