Malta among the top 10 more generous countries in the world

Malta is among the top 10 most generous countries in the world, according to the World Giving Index 2024.

Conducted by the Charities Aid Foundation, the survey includes data from 142 countries, with people asked three questions: have they helped a stranger, donated money or volunteered for a good cause in the past month.

The foundation said that global generosity is at record levels, with 4.3 billion people helping someone they didn’t know, or donating time or money to a good cause last month.

The world’s most generous country is Indonesia for the seventh year in a row, with 90 per cent of Indonesians donating money to charity and 65 per cent volunteering their time.

Kenya ranks second, having been in third place last year.

Singapore has risen 19 places to third, increasing its overall index score from 49 per cent to 61 per cent year-on-year. The positive results for Singapore follow the government’s recent initiatives to promote philanthropy and volunteerism.

Malta came in 10th, and is the only EU country to make it among the most generous.

The only other European country is Ukraine, which came in seventh place.

The CAF World Giving Index 2024 also shows:

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

• Morocco recorded the world’s largest year-on-year increase in donations. The surveys were conducted after the devastating earthquakes that struck the center of the country in September 2023. In 2022, only two per cent of people donated money to charity, compared to 18 per cent last year, and the number of volunteers doubled from 8 to 16 per cent.

• Greece is the biggest climber this year and has continuously improved its ranking since 2013. The score for helping strangers is particularly high – well above the European average and particularly high among young people.

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 reaching its highest level previously only seen during the pandemic. The research shows that even in a year of ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges, people from all continents and cultures are willing to help those in need.

“Governments can learn from each other to increase their giving and civic engagement. This, in turn, will help build resilient civil society organizations and create a vibrant, generous society in every country.

The Charities Aid Foundation, which celebrates its centenary this year, connects donors with charities around the world. The CAF awards over £1 billion to charities every year.

The top 10 countries in the CAF World Giving Index 2024:

1. Indonesia
2. Kenya
3. Singapore
4. Gambia
5. Nigeria
6. United States of America
7. Ukraine
8. Australia
9. United Arab Emirates
10. Malta