Indonesia Ranked World's Most Generous Country, Morocco the Least
Indonesia has been ranked first in the world for generosity according to the World Happiness Report. The country is placed alongside Myanmar and developed nations such as Norway, Australia, Iceland, the Netherlands, Malta, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. This ranking demonstrates that a culture of giving does not always follow income levels. Countries with a high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita may have greater resources, but their citizens do not necessarily share more frequently than those in other nations. The World Happiness Report 2026 compiled rankings involving 147 countries. While Indonesia is the most generous, Morocco sits at the bottom of the list, only ahead of Georgia and Lesotho.
The difference stems from how the World Happiness Report measures generosity. The indicator does not calculate total philanthropic funds or the value of a country’s donations. The assessment is based on responses from the Gallup World Poll, which asks whether individuals have donated money to a charity in the past month. These responses are then adjusted against each country’s GDP per capita. This approach aims to capture the propensity of a society to give after accounting for income levels, meaning wealthier countries do not automatically receive higher scores.
The report also found that generosity has a strong link with positive affect or positive emotions. Together with the freedom to make life choices, giving behaviour is one of the factors that most significantly influences an individual’s assessment of their quality of life. The spirit of sharing in Indonesia is present in daily life, from gotong royong and helping neighbours to donating during disasters and distributing zakat, infak, sedekah, or wakaf. The forms vary, but the common thread is helping others without always expecting a reward. This habit is also seen in the practice of micro-giving, where small, regular donations are made. The value may be only a few thousand rupiah, but the frequency is high. This pattern indicates that the decision to share is influenced more by social habits than by the size of one’s income.
These findings align with various studies cited in the World Happiness Report. Beyond donations, prosocial behaviours such as volunteering and helping family, neighbours, or strangers are also linked to higher levels of well-being for the giver. In essence, generosity is not just about the money that changes hands; what is assessed is an individual’s tendency to help others in various forms. However, the culture of giving also faces challenges when economic conditions weaken. Data from Statistics Indonesia shows the middle-class population fell from 57.33 million in 2019 to 47.85 million in 2024. This contraction has affected some people’s ability to donate. Several philanthropic organisations have noted a slowdown in contributions from middle-class donors, both in frequency and value. On the other hand, this decline is partly offset by increased contributions from donor groups with greater economic capacity. This shift shows that the culture of giving has not disappeared but is evolving with economic dynamics. The challenge is no longer encouraging people to share, but ensuring this spirit can endure when purchasing power weakens. At the same time, the management of donations is becoming increasingly important. More targeted, transparent, and accountable distribution has the potential to ensure every rupiah donated generates a greater social impact.