World Giving Index
Encyclopedia
The World Giving Index (WGI) was compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation
, using data gathered by Gallup
, and ranks 153 countries in the World according to how charitable their populations are. The Charities Aid Foundation claims that WGI is the largest study ever carried out into charitable behaviour across the globe. The first edition was released in September 2010 with New Zealand
, Australia
and Ireland
emerging as the three most charitable nations. The survey found that across the globe happiness was seen as a greater influence on giving money than wealth.
and Russia
samples of at least 2,000 were collected, while in a small number of countries, where polling is difficult, the poll covered 500 to 1,000 people but still featured a representative sample.
Respondents were over 15 years old and samples were probability-based. Surveys were carried out by telephone or face-to-face depending on the
country’s telephone coverage. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) worked with data downloaded in March 2010.
Gallup asked people which of the following three charitable acts they had undertaken in the past month:
Giving money or time to an organisation could include political parties/organisations as well as registered charities, community organisations, and places of worship.
In addition to this, the survey used GDP data from the International Monetary Fund's
Outlook Programme and an additional Gallup WorldView World Poll question on happiness.
n President Mahinda Rajapaksa
hailed the results of the Index where Sri Lanka came in 8th. President Rajapaksa said it captured, "the reality of our caring and sharing society".
The President of Taiwan
, Ma Ying-jeou
described the results as "unfair" and stated that Taiwan had transformed itself from an "importer of love to an exporter of love".
Australia
n Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector and Senator for New South Wales
, Dr Ursula Stephens
said, "I see each day the enormous efforts of our country’s five million volunteers and witness the generosity of the millions of Australians whose donations make the work of our non profit organisations possible. So this result on the World Giving Index is confirmation of what we already know – we are a country of generous people who are quick to lend a helping hand in times of need."
The Community and Voluntary Sector Minister in New Zealand
, Tariana Turia
said, "The report shows that New Zealanders are particularly generous when it comes to giving money and helping strangers, but also in terms of volunteering. As a nation we must celebrate our generosity and make sure that our decisions and our actions bolster it even further."
Charities Aid Foundation
The Charities Aid Foundation is a registered UK charity. Its Head Office is located in the King's Hill business park, West Malling, Kent with a second office in London on St Andrew Street, EC4A 3AY...
, using data gathered by Gallup
The Gallup Organization
The Gallup Organization, is primarily a research-based performance-management consulting company. Some of Gallup's key practice areas are - Employee Engagement, Customer Engagement and Well-Being. Gallup has over 40 offices in 27 countries. World headquarters are in Washington, D.C. Operational...
, and ranks 153 countries in the World according to how charitable their populations are. The Charities Aid Foundation claims that WGI is the largest study ever carried out into charitable behaviour across the globe. The first edition was released in September 2010 with New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
emerging as the three most charitable nations. The survey found that across the globe happiness was seen as a greater influence on giving money than wealth.
Methodology
The WGI is based on data from Gallup's WorldView World Poll which is an ongoing research project carried out in 153 countries that together represent 95% of the world's population. In most countries surveyed 1,000 questionnaires are completed by a representative sample of individuals living in urban centres. In some large countries such as ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
samples of at least 2,000 were collected, while in a small number of countries, where polling is difficult, the poll covered 500 to 1,000 people but still featured a representative sample.
Respondents were over 15 years old and samples were probability-based. Surveys were carried out by telephone or face-to-face depending on the
country’s telephone coverage. The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) worked with data downloaded in March 2010.
Gallup asked people which of the following three charitable acts they had undertaken in the past month:
- donated money to an organisation?
- volunteered time to an organisation?
- helped a stranger, or someone they didn’t know who needed help?
Giving money or time to an organisation could include political parties/organisations as well as registered charities, community organisations, and places of worship.
In addition to this, the survey used GDP data from the International Monetary Fund's
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
Outlook Programme and an additional Gallup WorldView World Poll question on happiness.
Response to the results (2010)
The Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
hailed the results of the Index where Sri Lanka came in 8th. President Rajapaksa said it captured, "the reality of our caring and sharing society".
The President of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
described the results as "unfair" and stated that Taiwan had transformed itself from an "importer of love to an exporter of love".
Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector and Senator for New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Dr Ursula Stephens
Ursula Stephens
Ursula Mary Stephens is an Australian politician. She was elected to the Australian Senate for New South Wales in November 2001, representing the Australian Labor Party. She began her term on 1 July 2002....
said, "I see each day the enormous efforts of our country’s five million volunteers and witness the generosity of the millions of Australians whose donations make the work of our non profit organisations possible. So this result on the World Giving Index is confirmation of what we already know – we are a country of generous people who are quick to lend a helping hand in times of need."
The Community and Voluntary Sector Minister in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia
Tariana Turia is a New Zealand politician. She gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy, and eventually broke with her party as a result...
said, "The report shows that New Zealanders are particularly generous when it comes to giving money and helping strangers, but also in terms of volunteering. As a nation we must celebrate our generosity and make sure that our decisions and our actions bolster it even further."
World Giving Index 2010 rankings
The higher the WGI score is, the more charitable a nation.| # | Country | % of population giving money | % of population giving time | % of population helping a stranger | Wellbeing score (out of 10) | WGI score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia |
70% | 38% | 64% | 7.3 | 57% |
| 1 |  New Zealand |
68% | 41% | 63% | 7.4 | 57% |
| 3 |  Republic of Ireland |
72% | 35% | 60% | 7.5 | 56% |
| 3 |  Canada |
64% | 35% | 68% | 7.0 | 56% |
| 5 |  Switzerland |
64% | 35% | 68% | 7.5 | 56% |
| 5 |  United States |
64% | 35% | 68% | 7.2 | 56% |
| 7 |  Netherlands |
64% | 35% | 68% | 7.6 | 56% |
| 8 |  United Kingdom |
64% | 35% | 68% | 5.6 | 56% |
| 8 |  Sri Lanka |
58% | 52% | 50% | 4.2 | 53% |
| 10 |  Austria |
69% | 30% | 58% | 7.2 | 52% |
| 11 |  Laos |
64% | 32% | 53% | 5.0 | 50% |
| 11 |  Sierra Leone |
29% | 45% | 75% | 3.0 | 50% |
| 13 |  Malta |
83% | 21% | 40% | 6.3 | 48% |
| 14 |  Iceland |
67% | 26% | 47% | 6.9 | 47% |
| 14 |  Turkmenistan |
17% | 61% | 62% | 6.6 | 47% |
| 16 |  Guyana |
36% | 33% | 67% | 6.0 | 45% |
| 16 |  Qatar |
64% | 18% | 53% | 6.4 | 45% |
| 18 |  Hong Kong |
70% | 13% | 50% | 5.1 | 44% |
| 18 |  Germany |
49% | 28% | 56% | 6.7 | 44% |
| 18 |  Denmark |
67% | 20% | 45% | 8.0 | 44% |
| 18 |  Guinea |
28% | 42% | 61% | 4.3 | 44% |
| 22 |  Guatemala |
46% | 33% | 51% | 6.5 | 43% |
| 22 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
45% | 25% | 60% | 6.7 | 43% |
| 22 |  Myanmar |
36% | 40% | 52% | 5.3 | 43% |
| 25 |  Thailand |
73% | 18% | 36% | 6.9 | 42% |
| 25 |  Kuwait |
41% | 19% | 67% | 6.6 | 42% |
| 25 |  Luxembourg |
58% | 28% | 41% | 7.0 | 42% |
| 25 |  Norway |
43% | 38% | 45% | 7.6 | 42% |
| 29 |  Angola |
24% | 39% | 61% | 4.2 | 41% |
| 29 |  Italy |
62% | 16% | 45% | 6.3 | 41% |
| 29 |  Kenya |
30% | 28% | 64% | 4.3 | 41% |
| 29 |  Malawi |
29% | 35% | 58% | 5.1 | 41% |
| 33 |  Morocco |
72% | 4% | 44% | 4.7 | 40% |
| 33 |  Tanzania |
42% | 26% | 51% | 4.4 | 40% |
| 33 |  Central African Republic |
24% | 47% | 48% | 4.4 | 40% |
| 36 |  Nigeria |
29% | 28% | 61% | 5.0 | 39% |
| 36 |  Costa Rica |
38% | 23% | 55% | 7.6 | 39% |
| 36 |  Israel |
51% | 18% | 47% | 7.3 | 39% |
| 39 |  Sudan |
26% | 20% | 69% | 4.3 | 38% |
| 39 |  Somaliland |
35% | 23% | 56% | 5.0 | 38% |
| 39 |  Liberia |
8% | 30% | 76% | 4.1 | 38% |
| 39 |  Chile |
48% | 16% | 49% | 6.5 | 38% |
| 39 |  Afghanistan |
35% | 23% | 55% | 4.4 | 38% |
| 39 |  Haiti |
40% | 38% | 35% | 3.8 | 38% |
| 45 |  Finland |
42% | 28% | 42% | 7.7 | 37% |
| 45 |  Sweden |
52% | 12% | 47% | 7.5 | 37% |
| 45 |  Zambia |
55% | 27% | 59% | 4.7 | 37% |
| 45 |  Lebanon |
40% | 13% | 57% | 5.2 | 37% |
| 45 |  Ghana |
22% | 31% | 57% | 4.2 | 37% |
| 50 |  Cyprus |
42% | 22% | 45% | 6.8 | 36% |
| 50 |  Belgium |
40% | 24% | 45% | 7.1 | 36% |
| 50 |  Bahrain |
43% | 18% | 48% | 5.7 | 36% |
| 50 |  Philippines |
25% | 36% | 48% | 4.9 | 36% |
| 50 |  United Arab Emirates |
40% | 14% | 54% | 6.9 | 36% |
| 50 |  Jamaica |
28% | 18% | 61% | 6.2 | 36% |
| 50 |  Colombia |
24% | 20% | 63% | 6.3 | 36% |
| 50 |  Indonesia |
45% | 27% | 35% | 5.5 | 36% |
| 50 |  Tajikistan |
17% | 42% | 48% | 4.6 | 36% |
| 59 |  Belize |
28% | 27% | 50% | 6.5 | 35% |
| 59 |  Syria |
33% | 9% | 62% | 5.0 | 35% |
| 59 |  Uzbekistan |
24% | 39% | 41% | 5.3 | 35% |
| 62 |  Puerto Rico |
30% | 18% | 55% | 6.6 | 34% |
| 62 |  Honduras |
35% | 27% | 41% | 6.0 | 34% |
| 62 |  Dominican Republic |
25% | 25% | 52% | 4.8 | 34% |
| 62 |  Slovenia |
35% | 27% | 40% | 5.8 | 34% |
| 66 |  Panama |
35% | 21% | 43% | 7.0 | 33% |
| 67 |  Mauritania |
27% | 15% | 55% | 4.5 | 32% |
| 67 |  Azerbaijan |
22% | 27% | 48% | 4.6 | 32% |
| 67 |  Botswana |
15% | 19% | 62% | 5.5 | 32% |
| 67 |  Mongolia |
33% | 31% | 32% | 4.5 | 32% |
| 67 |  Mexico |
25% | 20% | 50% | 7.0 | 32% |
| 72 |  Uganda |
13% | 22% | 59% | 4.6 | 31% |
| 72 |  Republic of China |
37% | 15% | 41% | 5.5 | 31% |
| 72 |  Bolivia |
22% | 20% | 50% | 6.1 | 31% |
| 72 |  Tunisia |
19% | 12% | 61% | 5.2 | 31% |
| 76 |  South Africa |
15% | 19% | 57% | 5.2 | 30% |
| 76 |  Malaysia |
32% | 29% | 30% | 5.4 | 30% |
| 76 |  Brazil |
25% | 15% | 49% | 7.0 | 30% |
| 76 |  Argentina |
21% | 16% | 52% | 6.4 | 30% |
| 76 |  Nicaragua |
30% | 16% | 52% | 5.4 | 30% |
| 81 |  South Korea |
27% | 22% | 38% | 5.6 | 29% |
| 81 |  Chad |
22% | 27% | 38% | 4.6 | 29% |
| 81 |  Poland |
42% | 9% | 35% | 5.8 | 29% |
| 81 |  Cameroon |
18% | 12% | 56% | 4.7 | 29% |
| 81 |  Czech Republic |
31% | 18% | 37% | 6.5 | 29% |
| 86 |  Iran |
35% | 12% | 38% | 5.1 | 28% |
| 86 |  Djibouti |
20% | 16% | 49% | 4.9 | 28% |
| 86 |  Saudi Arabia |
27% | 12% | 45% | 6.1 | 28% |
| 86 |  Comoros |
12% | 21% | 51% | 3.5 | 28% |
| 86 |  Namibia |
17% | 17% | 49% | 4.9 | 28% |
| 91 |  Spain |
25% | 13% | 44% | 6.2 | 27% |
| 91 |  Republic of Macedonia |
38% | 9% | 34% | 4.5 | 27% |
| 91 |  Senegal |
16% | 13% | 52% | 4.3 | 27% |
| 91 |  Zimbabwe |
9% | 19% | 53% | 4.1 | 27% |
| 91 |  Peru |
20% | 19% | 42% | 5.5 | 27% |
| 91 |  Mali |
16% | 21% | 44% | 4.1 | 27% |
| 91 |  Early Modern France |
31% | 22% | 28% | 6.3 | 27% |
| 91 |  Singapore |
35% | 10% | 35% | 6.1 | 27% |
| 91 |  Republic of the Congo |
11% | 18% | 51% | 3.8 | 27% |
| 100 |  Moldova |
17% | 20% | 42% | 5.6 | 26% |
| 100 |  Nepal |
22% | 21% | 36% | 4.9 | 26% |
| 100 |  Niger |
11% | 11% | 57% | 4.3 | 26% |
| 100 |  Uruguay |
20% | 15% | 43% | 6.3 | 26% |
| 100 |  Egypt |
19% | 6% | 52% | 5.1 | 26% |
| 100 |  Yemen |
17% | 7% | 53% | 4.8 | 26% |
| 106 |  Algeria |
17% | 9% | 50% | 5.6 | 25% |
| 106 |  Paraguay |
31% | 17% | 28% | 5.6 | 25% |
| 106 |  Ethiopia |
24% | 13% | 38% | 4.3 | 25% |
| 106 |  Benin |
19% | 19% | 37% | 6.3 | 25% |
| 106 |  Belarus |
11% | 32% | 32% | 5.6 | 25% |
| 106 |  Iraq |
7% | 6% | 61% | 4.8 | 25% |
| 112 |  Slovakia |
29% | 13% | 31% | 5.3 | 24% |
| 112 |  Albania |
27% | 15% | 31% | 4.6 | 24% |
| 112 |  Venezuela |
19% | 15% | 37% | 7.2 | 24% |
| 115 |  Armenia |
6% | 12% | 51% | 4.2 | 23% |
| 115 |  El Salvador |
15% | 12% | 42% | 6.8 | 23% |
| 115 |  Ecuador |
18% | 16% | 35% | 6.0 | 23% |
| 115 |  Latvia |
16% | 18% | 34% | 4.7 | 23% |
| 119 |  Independent State of Croatia |
26% | 6% | 34% | 5.8 | 22% |
| 119 |  Japan |
17% | 23% | 25% | 5.8 | 22% |
| 121 |  Estonia |
12% | 15% | 37% | 5.1 | 21% |
| 121 |  Kazakhstan |
8% | 22% | 34% | 5.4 | 21% |
| 121 |  Kyrgyzstan |
8% | 25% | 31% | 5.1 | 21% |
| 121 |  Republic of Kosovo |
35% | 9% | 20% | 5.5 | 21% |
| 121 |  Hungary |
22% | 9% | 32% | 4.8 | 21% |
| 121 |  Palestinian territories |
14% | 10% | 39% | 4.5 | 21% |
| 121 | 12% | 18% | 32% | 4.2 | 21% | |
| 121 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
29% | 4% | 29% | 4.9 | 21% |
| 129 |  Burkina Faso |
6% | 14% | 41% | 3.8 | 20% |
| 129 |  Mozambique |
12% | 14% | 35% | 4.7 | 20% |
| 129 |  Togo |
8% | 19% | 33% | 2.8 | 20% |
| 129 |  Jordan |
22% | 4% | 33% | 6.0 | 20% |
| 129 |  Portugal |
15% | 11% | 33% | 5.7 | 20% |
| 129 |  Côte d'Ivoire |
6% | 7% | 45% | 4.2 | 20% |
| 134 |  Georgia (country) |
5% | 15% | 37% | 3.8 | 19% |
| 134 |  Turkey |
14% | 7% | 35% | 5.1 | 19% |
| 134 |  India |
14% | 12% | 30% | 5.1 | 19% |
| 138 |  Vietnam |
17% | 6% | 32% | 5.3 | 18% |
| 138 |  Kingdom of Montenegro |
18% | 6% | 31% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 138 |  Russia |
6% | 20% | 29% | 5.2 | 18% |
| 141 |  Kingdom of Bulgaria |
18% | 3% | 30% | 3.8 | 17% |
| 142 |  Cambodia |
34% | 2% | 13% | 4.1 | 16% |
| 142 |  Pakistan |
20% | 8% | 20% | 5.2 | 16% |
| 142 |  Kingdom of Romania |
14% | 5% | 28% | 5.4 | 16% |
| 142 |  Rwanda |
15% | 11% | 21% | 4.0 | 16% |
| 146 |  Bangladesh |
12% | 5% | 29% | 5.1 | 15% |
| 147 |  Mainland China |
11% | 4% | 28% | 4.5 | 14% |
| 147 |  Lithuania |
4% | 6% | 33% | 5.5 | 14% |
| 147 |  Greece |
8% | 5% | 28% | 6.0 | 14% |
| 150 |  Serbia |
14% | 5% | 21% | 4.8 | 13% |
| 150 |  Ukraine |
5% | 14% | 19% | 5.2 | 13% |
| 152 |  Burundi |
9% | 7% | 21% | 3.8 | 12% |
| 153 |  Madagascar |
6% | 11% | 18% | 4.6 | 12% |