Indonesians Rank Among World's Most Generous, New Report Shows

The World Giving Report (WGR) 2026 continues to place Indonesia as one of the most prominent philanthropic forces in the world. The global philanthropy report records that the average donation by Indonesians is 1.55% of income, higher than the global donation average of 1.04% and surpassing many neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia also excels in the frequency of giving, with more than 90% of its citizens engaged in at least one form of generosity. This finding confirms that the strength of Indonesian philanthropy lies in broad participation, community closeness, and public trust, which must be continuously maintained through credible, transparent, and accountable governance.

The WGR 2026, released by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF) in the first week of June 2026, is a global philanthropy study developed from the World Giving Index (WGI). However, unlike the WGI, which focuses on ranking and measuring the frequency of three donation actions, the WGR applies qualitative and quantitative approaches and in-depth survey methods involving more than 60,000 respondents across 105 countries.

The aspects studied are also broader and deeper, covering donor profiles, forms, amounts, purposes, and motivations for giving, as well as social norms, trust, and a sense of togetherness that shape the culture of generosity. In Indonesia, this study was conducted in cooperation with the Indonesian Philanthropy Association (PFI).

While the WGI crowned Indonesia as the most generous country for seven years, the WGR, first published in 2025, placed Indonesia at 21st position. The WGR 2026 report does not explain Indonesia’s ranking and only mentions its very strategic position and its advantages in several giving categories.

Globally, the report shows that 61% of people worldwide made a donation in the past year, a slight decrease from 64% the previous year. The average global citizen donates about 1% of their income, but the figure varies sharply between regions.

Africa is the most generous region, with an average donation of 1.6% of income, while Europe is only 0.6%. Nigeria is recorded as the most generous country in the world, with an average donation of 2.8% of income. The top ten most generous countries all come from Africa and Asia, namely Nigeria (2.8%), Ghana (2.4%), Egypt (2.3%), Kenya (2.1%), India (2%), Uganda (1.9%), Pakistan (1.9%), Zambia (1.8%), Tanzania (1.8%), and Zimbabwe (1.7%). This data confirms that global generosity is more closely related to social solidarity, cultural values, and a sense of community than to economic prosperity alone.