Greece the biggest riser in 2024 CAF World Giving Index

Greece is the biggest riser in this year’s CAF World Giving Index, while the UK has fallen out of the top 20 for the second time since 2009 – the year of the first report.

The CAF World Giving Index has interviewed millions of people around the world since 2009, and this year includes data from 142 countries. 145,702 people were surveyed in 2023 with interviews taking place through Gallup’s World Poll. People are asked three questions: whether they have helped a stranger, given money or volunteered for a good cause during the past month.

Highest ranking European countries

Only two European countries make it into the top 10 this year: Ukraine, and Malta. Ireland is 15^th, followed by Norway (21^st) and then the UK, which has fallen to 22nd in the global index – the same level it was in 2020.

Greece ranks low – at 111^th, but has consistently increased its ranking since 2013 and this year rises 15 points. It also has a particularly high score for helping a stranger – significantly above the European average and particularly high among young people.

The UK’s overall global rank and scores have been declining over the past decade: in 2014, it was the sixth most generous country in the world, achieving an overall score of 57%, but this has fallen to 49% this year with a decline in all three of the areas surveyed.

World’s most generous countries

The world’s most generous country is Indonesia for the seventh year in a row, where 90% donated money to charity and 65% volunteered their time. Kenya is the second most generous country, rising from third last year. Singapore has risen 19 places to third, increasing its overall index score from 49% to 61% year on year. CAF notes that the positive results for Singapore follow recent Government initiatives to bolster philanthropy and volunteering.

The top 10 countries includes only two of the world’s largest economies (Indonesia and the United States), while one of the poorest countries in the world – The Gambia – is ranked in fourth place.

Morocco saw the largest year-on-year increase in donating money, with interviews taking place in the wake of September 2023’s earthquakes. Just 2% of people donated money to charity in 2022, but this rose to 18% last year, and volunteering rates doubled from 8% to 16%.

Neil Heslop OBE, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said:

“The generosity of people around the world is evident in CAF’s latest World Giving Index, with the global index score at its joint highest level, only previously matched during the pandemic. The research demonstrates how people from all continents and cultures remain ready to help those in need, during a year of continued economic and humanitarian challenges.

“Governments can learn from one another to grow giving and community engagement. In turn, this will help to build resilient civil society organisations and contribute towards a vibrant, generous society in every country.”

Picture by Jimmy Teoh on Pexels