India rises up World Giving Index of global generosity as people step up to support others in tough times

India climbs up the global CAF World Giving Index from 106th to 91st place, The CAF World Giving Index is the leading comparative study of global generosity, In India, more people donated money, volunteer time and help a stranger than any other country on earth

India CSR News Network

NEW DELHI: India is becoming more generous as it re-enters  the top 100 most generous countries on the CAF World Giving Index, the unique global league of giving, according to new figures published today.

More people give money, volunteer and help a stranger in India than in any other country on earth, according to the index, produced by the Charities Aid Foundation, an international charity which aims to help people give and support non-profits worldwide.

The number of Indians helping stranger, giving money and volunteering their time are both up, according to the index, which measures people giving their time, their money and helping others.

Overall, 401 million people had helped a stranger last year, up from  335m in 2014. More than 200 million had given money, up from  184m in 2014 and 200m had volunteered during the previous month, up from  157m in 2014.

Overall, India has climbed up the global CAF World Giving Index from 106^th to 91^st place, just above Pakistan and Bangladesh. But it still scores significantly lower than some of its neighbours like Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.

The CAF World Giving Index is compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation, an international charity, with partner offices in India, the USA, Canada, Russia, South Africa and Brazil as well as the UK.

The 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.

Meenakshi Batra, Chief Executive of CAF India, said: “India has a fabulous tradition and culture of giving and it is great news that India is becoming more generous over time.

“People generously stepped upto help after the devastating Tamil Nadu floods and the Nepal earthquake. It’s humbling that people instinctively try to help when they see their fellow citizens suffering adversity.

“We need to give something back to those who need it and build on the culture of giving of which we should be so proud.’’

More people than ever before are helping others in countries across the globe, according to the index.

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.

‘’Over the years, our employees have been donating voluntarily to various causes close to their heart, through CAF India’s ‘Give As You Earn’ employee giving programme. Our employees truly believe that in addition to lending monetary support, it’s also important to volunteer one’s time. CAF’s World Giving Index is an important tool to understand giving patterns across the globe. We are pleased to see an increasing number of people in India volunteering and making donations to help those in need. This is certainly a positive trend, and CWT is proud to support CAF India in cultivating a culture of giving in India,” said Geeta Jain, CEO, India, Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

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.

Findings include:

Africa is the continent which has seen the biggest increase in generosity in the past year

Disasters and adversity continue to inspire acts of generosity. This year’s index shows high levels of giving in Iraq and Libya despite bloody conflicts, and Nepal, which achieves its highest ranking following the devastating earthquakes of 2015

The index, now in its seventh year, shows high levels of generosity in countries experiencing civil war, conflict and unrest, showing how the human urge to help others comes through even in some of the most troubled nations on Earth.

In many countries, men are significantly more likely than women to engage in volunteering or helping a stranger. However, at the global level, there is little difference between men and women when it comes to donating money.

The CAF World Giving Index top 10

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.

“In every county, 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.

“Unconditional gifts of time and money are a life changing force for good in the world. As people become more prosperous and economies grow stronger we have an opportunity to build an ever stronger culture of giving right across the world.”

Top 10 countries by participation of people donating money

Top 10 countries by the number of people donating money

Top 10 countries by participation in helping a stranger

Data is for 2015 only and includes only countries surveyed in 2015.

Data relate to participation in helping a stranger during one month prior to interview.

Top 10 countries by the number of people helping a stranger

Top 10 countries by participation in volunteering time

Top 10 countries by the number of people volunteering time