The Surprising Childhood Roots of a Generous Life
What if some of the most generous adults are the ones who suffered most as children?
Demographic variation in charitable giving and helping across 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study
Rates of charitable giving and helping strangers vary dramatically from one country to another, with some nations showing high levels of participation while others report very low engagement.
Older age is generally associated with higher rates of charitable donations but lower rates of helping strangers.
Higher levels of education and more frequent attendance at religious services are consistently linked to greater participation in both charitable giving and helping strangers across many countries.
This research is a crucial reminder that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to encouraging kindness simply doesn't work. For non-profits and governments, these findings are a roadmap for creating more effective and culturally sensitive campaigns. In a country where people are more inclined to help directly, organizations could focus on creating volunteer opportunities rather than just fundraising. In places where charitable giving is low, policymakers might explore tax incentives or public awareness campaigns to build trust in non-profits.
“Recognizing the diverse ways people contribute is key to building stronger, more connected societies.”
Understanding these patterns helps us see that generosity isn't just about writing a check. It's also about the informal, everyday acts of helping that hold communities together. By recognizing and supporting the diverse ways people contribute, we can build stronger, more connected societies. This study challenges us to broaden our definition of what it means to give, fostering a more inclusive and accurate picture of human goodness around the world.
“Recognizing the diverse ways people contribute is key to building stronger, more connected societies.”
What does it mean to be generous? Is it donating money to a cause you care about, or is it stopping to help a stranger who needs a hand? While we often think of kindness as a universal value, a massive new study reveals that how people express generosity varies dramatically around the world.
“A country's wealth has little to do with its generosity; culture is what shapes how we care for one another.”
Researchers surveyed over 200,000 people across 22 countries, asking them two simple questions: In the last month, did you donate money to a charity? And did you help a stranger? The answers painted a fascinating and complex picture of global giving. The differences between countries were staggering.
In Indonesia, a remarkable 79% of people had recently donated to charity, while in Japan, only 10% had. When it came to helping a stranger, Nigeria led the way with 83% of people lending a hand, while Japan was again at the bottom, with just 11%. Interestingly, a country's wealth had little to do with its generosity. Some of the wealthiest nations weren't the biggest givers, and vice versa. The study also found that giving money and giving help are two very different things.
Some countries ranked high on one but low on the other, suggesting that culture, not just resources, shapes how we care for one another. Demographics also played a key role. Across the globe, charitable giving tends to increase with age, education, and religious service attendance. However, helping a stranger shows a different pattern: it's more common among younger people. This suggests that as we get older, we may shift from giving our time to giving our money. Both education and religious attendance were linked to higher rates of both giving and helping, pointing to the power of community and awareness in fostering a generous spirit.
People in Indonesia were nearly eight times more likely to report donating to charity in the past month than people in Japan, which had the lowest rate at 10%.
Nigeria reported the highest proportion of people helping strangers, with 83% of adults saying they had helped someone they did not know in the past month.
Globally, adults who attend religious services more than once a week are 22 percentage points more likely to donate to charity than those who never attend.
Adults with 16 or more years of education are 13 percentage points more likely to donate to charity than those with up to 8 years of education.
Nakamura, J. S., Węziak-Białowolska, D., Woodberry, R. D., Kubzansky, L. D., Shiba, K., Padgett, R. N., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025). Demographic variation in charitable giving and helping across 22 countries in the Global Flourishing Study. Scientific Reports, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96009-3
What if some of the most generous adults are the ones who suffered most as children?

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