UK ranks high in the world for donating…but low for volunteering

The UK population is among the most generous in the world for giving money, according to research released by the Charities Aid Foundation.

Its World Giving Index ranks the UK third in terms of donating money, with more than seven in ten Brits donating.

Only Myanmar and Indonesia rank higher, with more than eight in ten of their population donating money to good causes.

But the Index also found that the UK is ranked only 58th in the world for volunteering, with just a quarter of Brits saying they have volunteered over the last year. In contrast just under two thirds of people in Liberia give up their time for charitable causes. In Indonesia the proportion is three in five.

The UK performs even worse in terms of whether they have helped a stranger. Only a half of UK adults have stepped in to help a stranger ranking them 112th in the world. Meanwhile, in top ranked county Jamaica more than eight in ten have helped a stranger.

Overall the UK is ranked 17th in CAF’s World Giving Index, the same position as last year. This is 10 places lower on the index than a decade ago. Over the last ten years 46 countries have improved their ranking, including France, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

The top ranked country overall in 2023 is Indonesia, following by Ukraine, Kenya and Liberia.

Amidst significant global challenges, we find hope in the generosity across the globe revealed in the CAF #WorldGivingIndex 2023 🌎

Curious about the findings? Discover the global trends in generosity here ⬇️https://t.co/H1vrZMhnCX pic.twitter.com/IO7Agt4OkQ
— Charities Aid Foundation (@Caf) November 9, 2023

“This year’s CAF World Giving Index shows a rather mixed picture for the UK,” said CAF chief executive Neil Heslop.

“We are still one of the most generous countries in the world for giving money – even when times are so tough – but overall we have slipped down the Index over the last decade.

“Giving is about building a connection with those around us, whether they are across the street or on the other side of the world. We need to constantly renew and nurture a culture of giving to bring us all together and get more time and money flowing to support hard-pressed communities around the country.

“It’s up to all of us, but the Government can take the lead by drawing up a national strategy for philanthropy and charitable giving.”