New global league table of giving shows world becomes more generous than ever

For the first time since the index began, more than half of people in 140 countries said they helped a stranger, and record numbers of people volunteered their time. The numbers of people worldwide giving money was very slightly up.

Overall, Myanmar was the most generous country on Earth for the third year running.

The United States was second, making it the most generous nation in the western world, followed by Australia.

The index is published one month before #GivingTuesday – November 29 – the global day of giving when people are asked to give their time, money or voice to a good cause.

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.

John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, an international charity which helps people and companies give worldwide, said: “The generosity of people, even in countries suffering from disaster and turmoil, is truly humbling. It’s amazing that more than half the people in the world said they helped a stranger."

Low said: "In every country, people have this in-built desire to give and help others. Governments should encourage that spirt of generosity and create the environment in which a strong civil society can flourish allowing people to reach out to those less fortunate than themselves."

Image: Wikimedia Commons