World Giving Index

The World Giving Index (WGI) is an annual global report that measures and ranks countries based on the generosity and charitable behaviour of their citizens. It is published by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), a UK-based non-profit organisation, and is recognised as one of the most comprehensive studies of global giving trends. The index evaluates how people across different nations engage in acts of kindness, volunteerism, and philanthropy, offering insights into the social and cultural aspects of generosity worldwide.

Background and Purpose

The World Giving Index was first launched in 2010 by the Charities Aid Foundation. Its purpose is to provide a consistent and comparative understanding of charitable behaviour across nations, regardless of cultural or economic differences.
The WGI moves beyond financial donations alone and includes various forms of altruistic actions, making it a broader measure of human generosity. It aims to:

• Encourage governments and civil societies to promote volunteering and philanthropy.
• Identify global and regional patterns in charitable behaviour.
• Serve as a benchmark for social trust, empathy, and civic engagement.
• Highlight how generosity can thrive in societies with different economic backgrounds.

Methodology

The World Giving Index is based on data collected annually through the Gallup World Poll, which surveys thousands of people across more than 140 countries. The survey asks respondents about their participation in three specific forms of giving in the preceding month.
Core Indicators of the Index:

1. Helping a Stranger: Measures the percentage of people who helped someone they did not know and who needed help.
2. Donating Money: Measures the percentage of people who donated money to a charity or social cause.
3. Volunteering Time: Measures the percentage of people who volunteered time to an organisation or community project.

Each country receives a score based on the average of these three indicators, expressed as a percentage. The higher the score, the greater the overall level of giving behaviour in that country.
Formula:
WGI Score=(Helping+Donating+Volunteering)3\text{WGI Score} = \frac{(Helping + Donating + Volunteering)}{3}WGI Score=3(Helping+Donating+Volunteering)​
The data represent the proportion of people participating in each activity rather than the amount of money or time given, ensuring comparability between wealthy and developing nations.

Key Findings and Global Trends

Over the years, the World Giving Index has revealed several interesting global patterns:

1. Generosity is not limited to wealth:
   • Some of the highest-ranking nations are not necessarily the richest. Countries like Indonesia, Kenya, and Myanmar consistently score high due to strong community traditions of mutual help and religious giving.
2. Asia and Africa’s growing participation:
   • Nations in Asia and Africa have shown increased levels of participation in helping strangers and volunteering, reflecting strong communal ties and social solidarity.
3. Impact of global events:
   • Events such as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased acts of kindness globally, with many individuals helping neighbours, volunteering, and supporting health-related causes.
4. Decline in traditional charity donations:
   • In some high-income countries, monetary donations have declined as online activism and direct social initiatives replace conventional charitable giving.
5. High Global Participation:
   • The WGI 2023 report indicated that more than 3 billion people worldwide helped someone they did not know in the previous year, demonstrating the universality of compassion.

Recent Results (2023 Highlights)

According to the World Giving Index 2023, the top-ranking countries were:

India ranked among the top 20 countries, driven largely by community assistance and the growing role of civil society organisations.

India’s Performance

India has made significant progress in the World Giving Index over the past decade:

• Ranked among the top 20 globally in recent editions.
• High participation in helping strangers and community-based initiatives.
• Cultural and religious practices such as daan (charitable giving), seva (service), and langar (community kitchens) contribute to its strong tradition of generosity.
• The COVID-19 pandemic further mobilised community action, leading to a surge in volunteering and donations across India.

Interpretation and Insights

The WGI provides more than just a ranking — it offers insights into human empathy and social capital.
Key Interpretations:

• Countries with strong community cohesion and religious values tend to score high.
• Social trust and public confidence play a major role in shaping charitable behaviour.
• Economic development alone does not determine generosity — cultural and social norms are equally influential.
• The index highlights the importance of grassroots engagement and local support systems in addressing social challenges.

Applications and Policy Relevance

The World Giving Index has multiple applications:

• Policy Development: Helps governments design initiatives that encourage civic participation, volunteering, and philanthropy.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Provides companies with insights into charitable trends that can guide CSR programmes.
• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): Assists NGOs in understanding behavioural trends and identifying regions with strong potential for community mobilisation.
• Academic Research: Offers valuable data for studying social trust, altruism, and global development dynamics.

Limitations

While the WGI is a powerful comparative tool, it also faces some limitations:

• Self-reported data: May not always capture actual behaviour accurately due to response bias.
• Cultural differences: Acts of giving vary across societies and may not always align with the survey definitions.
• Frequency vs. Impact: The index measures participation rates rather than the scale or impact of giving.
• Urban bias: Some rural or informal charitable practices may be underrepresented in surveys.

Despite these limitations, the index remains a valuable global benchmark for understanding the scale and nature of generosity.

Significance

The World Giving Index highlights that generosity is a universal human value transcending income, geography, and religion. It celebrates global compassion, showing that people around the world are willing to help others regardless of wealth or nationality.
By revealing where and how people give, the index helps policymakers, social organisations, and researchers strengthen global cooperation and empathy — crucial elements for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to reducing inequality, building strong institutions, and fostering global partnerships.