Alone, your charity may have limited outreach, but together, our efforts can create a massive global impact.
According to the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index 2024, based on data from Gallup’s World View World Poll, which surveyed 145,702 people across 142 countries in 2023, global trends in generosity show a strong commitment to helping others.
Global Trends in Generosity: An Overview
Published in August 2024, the World Giving Index analyzed the global state of charitable giving, focusing on three key areas: donating money, volunteering time, and helping strangers. The report found that in 2023, 4.3 billion people either gave money, volunteered, or helped someone they didn’t know.
The Top Generous Nations: Indonesia Leading the Way
Indonesia ranks first for the seventh consecutive year, with nine out of 10 Indonesians donating to charity and over six in 10 volunteering. Malta made its debut in the top 10, driven by an increase in monetary donations, while Kenya, Singapore, and The Gambia also rank highly. The US, Ukraine, and Australia are among the most generous countries as well.
Regional Insights: Oceania and North America Excel
When looking at regions, Oceania and North America rank as the most generous, while some European and African regions rank lower. Over the past decade, countries like Ukraine, Indonesia, Chad, Russia, and China have shown the most improvement in charitable activities. China’s rise, for example, is attributed to the removal of administrative barriers to charity operations since 2016.
Generosity is often influenced by factors such as life satisfaction, religious practices, and other social dynamics. For instance, Oceania boasts some of the highest life-satisfaction ratings globally, which may contribute to its strong culture of giving. In Southeast Asia, widespread religious traditions of charitable giving likely drive the region’s high levels of generosity. However, Southern and Eastern Europe stand as exceptions, ranking among the least generous regions despite relatively high life-satisfaction levels.
Countries Showing Significant Improvement in Charitable Giving
Changes in charitable giving can also be influenced by geographical events, government policies. Singapore’s rise is linked to new initiatives to promote philanthropy and generous tax benefits for donations. Morocco, meanwhile, saw a spike in donations following a devastating earthquake in 2023. Natural disasters and conflicts frequently prompt local communities to come together to support those in need.
With many more insights and data in the report produced by the Charities Aid Foundation, it is important to harness this information to strengthen global charitable efforts and inspire even greater acts of generosity across all regions.
All information and data attributed to the Charities Aid Foundation, and the World Index Report 2024 at: https://www.cafonline.org/insights/research/world-giving-index
