Infographics

World’s Most Charitable Countries (Top 119 Countries)

The World Giving Index measures generosity based on three universal human behaviors. Positively, the overall Index score has increased this year, indicating that individuals have taken more of the tracked actions on a global scale than they did in the previous year. Even though there have been fewer opportunities to assist others during certain phases of the pandemic, the desire to do so has generally increased. The percentage of adults who helped a stranger increased from 55% in 2020 to 62% in 2021, the most excellent rate ever recorded. Low- and middle-income Central and South American nations improved their scores for assisting a stranger, placing five of these nations in the top ten.

Facts

In 2021, more than three billion individuals assisted a stranger.
The United Nations lists only four of this year’s top ten most generous nations as high-income countries, while the remaining six are low- and middle-income countries.

Cambodia has the lowest Index score, 19%, down from 28% the previous year.
The percentage of donors increased by ten percentage points between 2020 and 2021, from 35% to 45%.

Factors

The Index comes from the U.K.-based charity Charities Aid Foundation. It is based on surveys of 1.3 million people by Gallup’s World Poll. The questions are-

How a person helped a stranger or a person, they did not know who required assistance.
How much money is given to a charitable organization.
Volunteers who contributed their efforts to a cause.

Ranking

The Charities Aid Foundation publishes the World Charitable giving Index using Gallup data (WGI). An annual report evaluates over 140 countries based on their charitable contributions. The World Giving Index aims to reveal the scope and nature of global giving. In September 2010, the first edition of the book was released. The most recent edition was released in October 2022. The frame represents the entirety of the nation’s civilian and non-institutionalized population aged 15 and older. In certain sizable countries, such as China and Russia, at least 2,000 samples are collected.

Why were Indonesia and Kenya ranked first?

They have many religious people, which could explain these results since religion has always been a big reason for giving. Cultural practices that emphasize community, like the gotong-royong of Indonesia and the Harambee of Kenya, which help people come together in times of need, like the Covid-19 pandemic, could also affect these results.

The top 15 countries are given below As of 2022.

1. Indonesia

Indonesia leads the World Giving Index for the fifth consecutive year with a score of 68%. Additionally, the nation has the world’s highest charitable giving and volunteerism rates. In 2021, over 80% of people donated money, and 63% volunteered their time.

Indonesia has the greatest rates of charitable giving (84%) and volunteering (63%). Therefore, it is gratifying to see Indonesia’s culture of philanthropic collective action, known as gotong royong, recognized for its merits and for generating international and domestic interest.

The culture of giving in Indonesia is significantly influenced by religious giving, with Zakat constituting the majority of people’s charitable efforts. As Zakat defines, giving to the weak and needy is a religious obligation for all Muslims who satisfy the required wealth requirements. This procedure pertains to all religions in Indonesia. With 231 million Muslims, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country globally.

In Indonesia, the newer generations are also very interested in and supportive of philanthropic and charitable endeavors. Young people are driving the adoption of digital giving platforms, facilitating quicker, safer, and simpler donation processes.

Increasing private affluence among several Indonesians has likely also contributed to a discernible increase in philanthropic giving throughout the nation, not only in the capital city but also at the regional level from east to west.

2. Kenya

Kenya comes in second with a score of 61% on the Index, up from 58% in 2020. In 2021, Kenya’s scores improved across the board. The nation scored significantly higher than average for helping a stranger in 2021.

Although the challenges faced over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing cost of living, Kenyans’ high generosity and solidarity are incredibly inspiring. Because the foundations of their culture and religious influence continue to influence charitable acts, they must strengthen these virtuous principles. More channels must be opened to assist Kenyans who donate and make it simpler for Kenyans to present in a planned way that ensures accountability and transparency.

3. United States

The United States rated third as the world’s most charitable nation. Still, Americans are some of the most charitable people in the world. Seventy-two percent of respondents said they had helped a stranger, 61 percent had given to charity, and 42 percent had donated their time. However, their populations have been steadily declining in the United States. In America, giving to charities is a way of life.

4. Australia

Australia ranked number four on the list because its people are the kindest and most willing to help strangers. The result was that many people praised Australia’s sense of community. Also, the people are kind and help each other quickly when needed.

In addition to starting a program to reform the non-profit sector, which will make it easier for organizations to do important community work with more time and money, the government has given record amounts of grants to volunteers.

5. New Zealand

The people of New Zealand think of themselves as practical, able to handle any situation, well-versed in life skills, and friendly. Levine says that even though New Zealand is not a big or powerful country, it has an “attractive self-image” that is full of idealism, inspiration, and practical innovation. New Zealanders like humble people who don’t think they are better than others.

6. Myanmar

Why does Myanmar appear on the list? The answer lies in the significant influence of the specific school of Buddhism practiced there, known as Theravada. Moreover, “generating merit” is pervasive throughout the nation. Everything you do in this existence will have consequences in the next. Therefore, the more merit you earn in this life, the greater the likelihood that your next life will be excellent.

All Buddhist sects emphasize the importance of acquiring merit through various practices, such as meditation and moral conduct. However, in Myanmar, charitable acts are especially valued. Offering daily alms or food to monks is the most common manifestation, to the extent that Fuller characterizes it as “an essential religious practice.”

There is a strong culture of giving; it is not always required but rather a matter of helping those in need as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be much; something that will make a slight difference will serve. On this basis, you perform virtuous deeds and accumulate merit by making [the recipients] and your family happy.

The nation’s artistic legacy reflects this custom of giving. Likewise, religion and culture are linked here. Sadly, despite the awe-inspiring nature of this tradition, Myanmar has recently become synonymous with the brutal military regime that lasted until 2011. However, contrary to appearances, this conflict aided in strengthening the culture of generosity.

In recent decades, successive generations have witnessed a government that neither cares for nor provides for them—the emergence of extraordinary resilience and a strong desire to watch out for one another.

7. Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone ranked seventh as the most charitable country. Helping a stranger, the most common way to give, went up to record levels. Most people who helped a stranger (83%) were from Sierra Leone. About two-thirds of the people in the country are Muslims. This is the main reason why this country is considered the most charitable.

8. Canada

The majority of Canadians are kind. The most recent numbers show that 84% of Canadians donate to charity annually, and most do so without asking for or getting a receipt. Registered charities give receipts for gifts totaling almost $2 billion every year, but they don’t file them. As a result, taxpayers need a better shoebox for their tax records for money they give to charity.

People who own real estate, have some money and don’t have children are becoming million-dollar donors. Most of these people are over 60 and don’t have children. And it’s not because they give more than the generations before; their situation lets them.

9. Zambia

Zambia took place at number nine. In Zambia, the amount of time people spent helping increased from 19% to 23%, back to where it was before the pandemic. In Zambia, more people (43% of the total) volunteer than in the US.

10. Ukraine

Ukraine ranked tenth as the most charitable country. All three of Ukraine’s measures may have improved because of the country’s social and economic growth and the changes in culture before the war. Studies on how Ukrainians feel about giving to a charity say that factors like improving living standards, the rise of new and creative ways to offer, and the need to provide more because of the Covid-19 pandemic may have led to this increase in giving and participation.

11. Ireland

Ireland ranked eleventh among the most charitable nations. In 2022, roughly 325,000 aid donations were made in Ireland alone, and one donation was made worldwide every second. In addition, Ireland was the most generous country based on the number of contributions per person.

The “Immediate Aid to Refugees Fleeing Ukraine” campaign, which raised nearly €800,000 worldwide to support migrants in Poland displaced by the Ukraine crisis and those still in Ukraine, was one of the campaigns that received the most donations in Ireland this year.

12. Thailand

Thailand ranks as the twelfth most charitable nation. With 68% of the population donating to those in need, Thailand, an emerging market, has returned to the top ten. In addition, Thailand has prioritized the health and education of children as significant areas of support, among others.

13. Czech Republic

The thirteenth most charitable nation in the globe is the Czech. The Czech Republic is the most stunning nation in Europe. It is a country that is an architect’s utopia. Nonetheless, the Czech population has a history of being wary of charitable organizations.

Using their phone credit, donors can SMS a donation to a specific charity or cause using a technique developed in the Czech Republic. The previous year, more than 13 million CZK were donated via DMS for basic social necessities and disaster relief.

Due to the process’s simplicity and transparency and the fact that the charities involved are “certified,” more young people and people who would not typically donate have begun to do so.

14. Nigeria

Nigeria placed fourteenth among the world’s most charitable nations. Nigeria is the country with the most people in Africa, receives substantial aid due to the stark disparity in wealth. Charities and non-profit organizations are obligated to assist underserved members of society. Nigerians are among the most generous individuals in ll of Africa. According to the findings, 2.2 billion people helped a stranger, 1.4 billion donated to charity, and 1 billion volunteered their time.

It was also discovered that some of the world’s most generous individuals reside in what are commonly considered poor nations, demonstrating that generosity is not necessarily correlated with material prosperity.

15. United Arab Emirates

The UAE is one of the 15 most generous nations in the world. In addition, the United Arab Emirates has recently been recognized as one of the greatest nations globally, not just for our charitable contributions. Volunteering, charitable giving, and assisting acquaintances are among the categories that are evaluated. In addition, the UAE was one of the nations that had “improved the most.”

Here is a list of the most charitable countries in the world:

Rank	Country	Score
1	Indonesia	68%
2	Kenya	61%
3	United States	59%
4	Australia	55%
5	New Zealand	54%
6	Myanmar	52%
7	Sierra Leone	51%
8	Canada	51%
9	Zambia	50%
10	Ukraine	49%
11	Ireland	49%
12	Thailand	48%
13	Czech Republic	48%
14	Nigeria	48%
15	United Arab Emirates	47%
16	Poland	47%
17	United Kingdom	47%
18	Brazil	47%
19	Guinea	47%
20	Philippines	47%
21	Argentina	47%
22	Uganda	46%
23	Iceland	46%
24	Denmark	46%
25	Mongolia	46%
26	Honduras	46%
27	Serbia	46%
28	Jamaica	46%
29	Netherlands	46%
30	Russia	46%
31	Singapore	45%
32	Norway	45%
33	Austria	45%
34	North Macedonia	45%
35	Malta	45%
36	Venezuela	45%
37	Mexico	44%
38	Dominican Republic	44%
39	Paraguay	44%
40	Sri Lanka	44%
41	Kyrgyzstan	44%
42	Bosnia and Herzegovina	44%
43	Costa Rica	44%
44	Kosovo	43%
45	Bolivia	43%
46	Ghana	43%
47	Vietnam	43%
48	Iran	43%
49	China	42%
50	Sweden	42%
51	Colombia	42%
52	Ecuador	42%
53	Slovakia	41%
54	Bulgaria	41%
55	Germany	41%
56	Nepal	40%
57	India	40%
58	Nicaragua	40%
59	Uruguay	40%
60	Cyprus	40%
61	Senegal	40%
62	Hungary	40%
63	Turkey	40%
64	Estonia	40%
65	Burkina Faso	39%
66	Tajikistan	39%
67	Malawi	39%
68	Peru	39%
69	Slovenia	39%
70	Uzbekistan	38%
71	Chile	38%
72	Congo	38%
73	Mali	38%
74	Finland	37%
75	Iraq	37%
76	Switzerland	37%
77	Cameroon	37%
78	Israel	37%
79	Mauritius	37%
80	Cote d’Ivoire	37%
81	Hong Kong SAR (China)	37%
82	Croatia	37%
83	Lithuania	37%
84	Panama	36%
85	Saudi Arabia	36%
86	El Salvador	36%
87	South Africa	35%
88	South Korea	35%
89	Namibia	35%
90	Moldova	34%
91	Taiwan	34%
92	Togo	34%
93	Kazakhstan	34%
94	Mozambique	34%
95	Gabon	34%
96	Albania	34%
97	Tanzania	33%
98	Benin	32%
99	Spain	32%
100	France	32%
101	Jordan	32%
102	Greece	32%
103	Morocco	31%
104	Georgia	31%
105	Zimbabwe	31%
106	Romania	30%
107	Algeria	30%
108	Pakistan	29%
109	Italy	29%
110	Armenia	29%
111	Latvia	29%
112	Tunisia	28%
113	Laos	27%
114	Portugal	26%
115	Lebanon	24%
116	Egypt	23%
117	Afghanistan	21%
118	Japan	20%
119	Cambodia	19%

Lastly,

People who were giving more were happy than more self-centered people. Giving money to charity is a great way to make the world a better place. It helps important causes and makes life better for everyone. As more people participate in charity activities, we will be closer to eliminating poverty, homelessness, and other problems.

Rich countries keep saying they can’t afford to help or that the poor countries are being too kind. But on the other hand, rich countries should help poor countries because the policies and programs of rich countries often cause or make things worse for people in poor countries.