Monday, June 25, 2007

Americans Are Most Generous People on Planet

Americans are the most generous people in the world, measured by charitable giving as a percent of GDP. Americans give twice as much (1.67% of GDP) as the next most charitable country, the U.K. at 0.73%, according to this study by the Charities Aid Foundation (chart above is taken from the study). Americans give almost 12 times as much as the French and almost 8 times as much as the Germans. In fact, Americans give more as a percent of GDP than France, Germany, Turkey, New Zealand, Singapore and the Netherlands COMBINED!

And charitable giving in the U.S. set another record in 2006 at almost $300 billion, about the same amount as the GDP of Denmark, Greece, Austria or Norway.

Read more about it here in
The WSJ and here in USA Today.

3 Comments:

At 6/26/2007 4:48 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. Higher per capita incomes in the US + relatively lower taxes (Tax Freedom Day comes earlier in the US than for other DCs.)

2. Singapore: larger family networks, more intra-family redistribution. Also within subcaste -- for Indians.
Turkey: not exactly a high-income DC. Also, more intra-family/intra-clan giving.

 
At 7/02/2007 5:25 AM, Blogger Kevin Anthony Stoda said...

Good point.

Americans do give more to non-family members than most other people on the planet.

Most other nations and culture do have a (1) a bias towards families or (2) belief that since the government takes 50 percent or more of their salary, the government should dish out the dough to charities in their country and around the globe more fairly.

It would be interesting to compare these giving biases across cultures.

 
At 7/02/2007 5:27 AM, Blogger Kevin Anthony Stoda said...

Good point.

Americans do give more to non-family members than most other people on the planet.

Most other nations and culture do have a (1) a bias towards families or (2) belief that since the government takes 50 to 65 percent or more of their salary, the government should dish out the dough to charities in their country and around the globe more fairly.

It would be interesting to compare these giving biases across cultures.

5:25 AM

 

Post a Comment

<< Home