World’s wealthiest give ‘significantly less’ than those in low-income countries

People in low-income countries are twice as generous as those living in high-income regions in terms of giving to good causes, research has found.

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)’s World Giving Report found that those in low income countries give away an average of 1.45% of their income to charity, compared to 0.7% in high income countries.

The average among those in Africa is to give 1.54% of their income to charity, while in Europe the average is 0.64%.

The UK is ranked as the 64th in the generosity table, where people donate 0.75% of their income to charity on average.

The most generous country is Nigeria, where people give on average donate 2.83% of their income to charity and good causes.

The least generous are those in Finland, Germany and Japan.

Those aged 35-44 donated 1.5 times as much of their income compared to those over 65, the research also found.

Meanwhile, the most popular cause globally is children and young people, which is supported by three in ten donors. It is the top cause in every continent.

One in four donate to humanitarian aid and disaster relief. Environmental causes are most popular in Asia, where one in six donations are made for such efforts.

Globally, people tend to trust and value local charities the most, followed by national and then international charities, found CAF.

It also found that people are more generous when their government encourages giving.

“It is notable that giving does not necessarily correlate with wealth or even security, but rather on the perception of necessity – and very often we perceive those closest to us to be most in need,” said CAF chief executive Neil Heslop.

“During these challenging times, there is much we can learn about the power of connection, and the nature of compassion for our fellow citizens, whether they be across the street or around the world.”

He added: “Around the world, social purpose organisations are facing severe financial headwinds. Traditional funding models need to change as patterns of behaviour evolve and governments cut back on their aid and development spending with philanthropy seeking to respond.

“Individual giving remains the cornerstone of generosity. Yet there is wide disparity, with the most dynamic cultures of giving often in countries where the populations are also much in need.”