Most Generous Countries in the World

The richest nations are not always the most generous. Sometimes, those with less give more.

Some people are more inclined to offer their time, help or money to complete strangers. What if there was a way to measure just how generous people are around the world? Washington, D.C.-based analytics firm Gallup polls 146 countries every year to find out which country comes out on top.

Through interviews with 1,000 adults age 15 and older based in each country, the firm generated a civic engagement index based on whether residents volunteered time, donated money or helped a stranger in need in the past month. In 2017, 1 billion people worldwide gave their time to an organization, and 1.4 billion donated money to a charity. More than 2 billion said they helped strangers in need.

According to Gallup’s findings, there’s a strong connection between per capita GDP and civic engagement. However, the wealthiest countries are not necessarily the most generous. Myanmar and Indonesia, for example, consistently have taken the top spots over the years, with Australia and the United States trailing behind.

Here are the top 50 countries that scored highest on Gallup’s survey.

No. 50

About Uganda

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 40.8 million

GDP per capita: $2,400

Average annual household income: $780

Agriculture is important for Uganda’s economy, which relies on natural resources like copper and gold. Public debt and government spending have slowed down its economy, but oil revenues and taxes are expected to help it grow in upcoming years.

No. 49

About Dominican Republic

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 10.2 million

GDP per capita: $17,000

Median household income: $4,799

Historically, the Dominican Republic relied on exporting sugar, coffee and tobacco. In recent decades it has diversified into other agriculture and grown its tourism and trade sectors. It has become one of the fastest-growing economies in Latin America.

No. 48

About South Sudan

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 10.2 million

GDP per capita: $1,600

Median household income: $960

As a landlocked region, South Sudan is extremely underdeveloped and impoverished. Its market and economy are weak as result of continued civil wars and instability.

No. 47

About Slovenia

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 2.1 million

GDP per capita: $34,500

Median household income: $25,969

Slovenia has good infrastructure and an educated workforce, factors that have helped it maintain one of the highest per capita GDPs in Central Europe.

No. 46

About Honduras

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 9.1 million

GDP per capita: $5,600

Median household income: N/A

Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America, suffering from unequal income distribution and high unemployment. It used to rely on exporting bananas and coffee, but more recently diversified its exports.

No. 45

About Mongolia

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Index score (0-100): 39

Population: 3.1 million

GDP per capita: $13,000

Median household income: $1,414

Mongolia traditionally depended on herding and agriculture, but it has opened up to foreign investments in its extract industries — materials like copper, gold and coal. Now its exports account for more than 40 percent of the country’s GDP.

No. 44

About Finland

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Index score (0-100): 40

Population: 5.5 million

GDP per capita: $44,500

Median household income: $34,615

Finland is very industrialized, resulting in high marks across income and wealth, jobs, earnings and housing. The manufacturing industry is big, and the economy does well in attracting foreign investments.

No. 43

About Turkmenistan

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Index score (0-100): 40

Population: 5.4 million

GDP per capita: $18,200

Median household income: $24,135

Turkmenistan enjoys gas wealth with its large reserves, but the Central Asian country still faces poverty challenges. Low energy prices have created challenges for its government and economy.

No. 42

About Sweden

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Index score (0-100): 41

Population: 10 million

GDP per capita: $51,200

Median household income: $50,514

Sweden has a small but competitive economy that’s thriving thanks to good welfare benefits and foreign trade. Sweden maintains an account surplus of about 5 percent of GDP, one of the highest margins in Europe.

No. 41

About Luxembourg

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Index score (0-100): 41

Population: 605,764

GDP per capita: $105,100

Median household income: $52,493

Luxembourg ranks high in wealth and civic engagement, and its standard of living is high and unemployment relatively low. The financial sector is a significant contributor to its GDP.

No. 40

About South Africa

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Index score (0-100): 41

Population: 55.3 million

GDP per capita: $13,600

Median household income: $11,592

South Africa has made a lot of progress toward reducing poverty and increasing access to housing and education. Unemployment rate still lingers around 27.5 percent, and some 16 percent of South Africans are living below the poverty line. Nonetheless, South Africans are among the most generous toward strangers; 72 percent said they’ve helped a stranger in need.

No. 39

About Belgium

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Index score (0-100): 41

Population: 11.5 million

GDP per capita: $46,600

Median household income: $26,922

Belgium’s central location and transport network give it advantages in diversifying its economy. There’s a mixture of manufacturing and high tech industries in the north, as well as coal and steel industries in the south.

No. 38

About Israel

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Index score (0-100): 42

Population: 8.4 million

GDP per capita: $36,400

Median household income: $30,364

Israel relies on its pharmaceutical and technology equipment exports. Although it sees high trade deficits, tourism and foreign investments help the economy offset itself.

No. 37

About Ghana

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Index score (0-100): 42

Population: 28 million

GDP per capita: $4,700

Median household income: $730

Ghana has an abundance of natural resources, from cocoa to rice. But the country still faces electricity challenges and high government debt.

No. 36

About Tajikistan

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Index score (0-100): 42

Population: 8.6 million

GDP per capita: $3,200

Median household income: $525

Tajikistan is a poor country relying mostly on its mineral and metals. Although unemployment is not very high, 31.5 percent of its citizens live below the poverty line.

No. 35

About Cyprus

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Index score (0-100): 43

Population: 1.2 million

GDP per capita: $37,200

Median household income: N/A

The Cyprus economy mostly depends on agriculture and tourism. It’s been a part of the European Union since 2004, which helped it grow and bring down unemployment. Since then, the economy has hit a recession; the country has been trying to develop its offshore hydrocarbon resources.

No. 34

About Iraq

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Index score (0-100): 43

Population: 40 million

GDP per capita: $16,700

Median household income: $10,200

Iraq’s economy is mostly state-run and oil dependent. Problems of overregulation and corruption make it difficult for Iraqis and foreign investors alike to start new businesses. Despite those challenges, Iraqis remain some of the most generous in helping others. Of those surveyed, 81 percent of Iraqis said they’ve helped a stranger. It ranks second in this category, behind Libya.

No. 33

About Kuwait

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Index score (0-100): 43

Population: 2.9 million

GDP per capita: $65,800

Median household income: $40,854

Kuwait is rich in fossil fuels, with more than 6 percent of the world’s crude oil reserves. As such, it is a small but wealthy economy. That puts Kuwaiti in a strong position to give. When surveyed, 80 percent of citizens said they’ve helped a stranger in need. Kuwait is third most generous in this category.

No. 32

About Austria

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Index score (0-100): 44

Population: 8.7 million

GDP per capita: $50,000

Median household income: $34,911

Austria has a well-developed economy with a high standard of living, closely tied to Germany’s economy and being a major trade partner for the U.S. In recent years, a new pro-business government has focused on reducing bureaucracy and improving the public sector.

No. 31

About The Gambia

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Index score (0-100): 44

Population: 2.1 million

GDP per capita: $2,600

Median household income: N/A

The Gambia is largely dependent on its agriculture. Although some 48 percent of its citizens live below the poverty line, Gambians are quite generous to strangers, with 74 percent of those surveyed saying they’ve helped a stranger.

No. 30

About Hong Kong

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Index score (0-100): 44

Population: 7.2 million

GDP per capita: $61,500

Median household income: $35,443

Hong Kong’s free market economy is centered around international trade and finance. With a GDP of $455.9 billion, it maintains a relatively low unemployment rate and high GDP per capita among established countries. Hong Kong continues to invest government spending in research, education and technology as part of its aim to increase economic growth and diversity. It also consistently ranks among top travel destinations in the world.

No. 29

About Iran

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Index score (0-100): 45

Population: 83 million

GDP per capita: $20,100

Median household income: $13,178

Iran relies on oil and gas exports but also has an economy supported by agricultural and industrial sectors. Because the government directly owns and operates many of the state’s enterprises and security forces, corruption and price controls limit its economy and private-sector growth.

No. 28

About Libya

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Index score (0-100): 45

Population: 6.7 million

GDP per capita: $9,600

Median household income: N/A

Libya is highly dependent on its oil and gas exports, and it has struggled in recent years to maintain security and political stability. Living conditions have also declined due to power and fuel shortages. But it seems Libyans have a lot to give as it leads in generosity among African nations and surpasses even some developed nations. When asked if they have helped strangers, 83 percent in Libya said they’ve helped a stranger — the highest in the world.

No. 27

About Sri Lanka

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Index score (0-100): 45

Population: 21.4 million

GDP per capita: $12,900

Median household income: $1,385

Sri Lanka is still focusing on its economic growth under the IMF program in 2016, while the government’s high debt payments remain a concern. Its budget deficits remain among the highest in emerging markets, but the country is working toward maintaining foreign exchange reserves as it regains balance. Although Sri Lankans are not as affluent as their peers from developed nations, they are some of the most generous with their time. When surveyed, 45 percent of them had volunteered their time to an organization.

No. 26

About Switzerland

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Index score (0-100): 45

Population: 8.42 million

GDP per capita: $80,189.70

Median household income: $34,608

Switzerland has a modern market economy that comes with low unemployment and a skilled labor force. It has a developed service sector and strong financial services and manufacturing industries. Low corporate tax rates and good infrastructure help it to maintain a high per capita GDP. These factors allow the Swiss to contribute to charities and give their time to strangers.

No. 25

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About Mauritius

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Index score (0-100): 46

Population: 1.2 million

GDP per capita: $10,490.50

Median household income: $9,922

Of the people surveyed in Mauritius, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, 38 percent said they’ve volunteered time to an organization during the last month.

No. 24

About Denmark

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Index score: 46

Population: 5.8 million

GDP per capita: $56,307.51

Median household income: $44,360

While small, Denmark’s economy has grown in recent years as the government made an effort to train the unemployed and keep poverty rate down. As Gallup’s poll discovered, those in wealthier countries tend to be in a position to give more.

No. 23

About Trinidad and Tobago

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Index score: 46

Population: 1.2 million

GDP per capita: $16,126.37

Gross national income per capita: $15,340

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most prosperous countries in the Caribbean because of its petroleum and natural gas. Tourism in Tobago is also growing and expanding. It has one of the highest per capita incomes in Latin America.

No. 22

About Germany

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Index score: 46

Population: 82.8 million

GDP per capita: $44,469.91

Median household income: $33,333

Germany is Europe’s largest economy. Investments and exports are slated to push GDP growth in coming years, and the country expects to continue seeing surpluses in trade and budget.

No. 21

About Zambia

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Index score: 46

Population: 16 million

GDP per capita: $1,513.28

Median household income: $1,501

While the country faces challenges in health care and education, its economy was one of the fastest growing up until 2014, when copper prices fell. Several African countries have moved up in the index overtime as economic development contributes to higher incomes.

No. 20

About Sierra Leone

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Index score: 47

Population: 6.3 million

GDP per capita: $499.53

Median household income: $2,330

Sierra Leone’s population is very poor. Almost half of the working population is in agriculture. The country has been recovering from a civil war since 2000, yet Gallup finds 80 percent of people helped a stranger in need during the month the survey covered.

No. 19

About Liberia

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Index score: 47

Population: 4.8 million

GDP per capita: $694.32

Median household income: $781

Liberia relies heavily on foreign aid, but the country has an abundance of water and mineral resources. According to the survey, 47 percent of Liberians have volunteered their time to an organization, and Liberia ranks fourth among those most likely to help a stranger. Eighty percent of those surveyed helped a stranger in need.

No. 18

About Malta

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Index score: 47

Population: 449,043

GDP per capita: $26,903.82

Median household income: $21,141

Although they live in a very small country, the people of Malta still have a generous spirit. Of those surveyed, 64 percent said they’ve donated to a charity. The economy is the smallest in the eurozone, but its GDP growth remains strong despite its reliance on trade.

No. 17

About Iceland

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Index score: 48

Population: 343,518

GDP per capita: $70,056.87

Median household income: $47,000

The island nation is among the countries most likely to support charity. In 2017, 65 percent of respondents said they’ve donated to charity in the past month. The country benefits from an extensive welfare system and has a particularly even distribution of income.

No. 16

About Nigeria

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Index score: 48

Population: 203 million

GDP per capita: $1,968.56

Median household income: $2,667

Nigeria depends on its oil. The country endured a recession in 2016 but has been on the upswing since oil prices recovered. As economic development continues, those with higher incomes throughout these regions of Africa will influence civic engagement.

No. 15

About Canada

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Index score: 49

Population: 35 million

GDP per capita: $45,032.12

Median household income: $41,280

Canada has an economic system much like the U.S. and is a big energy supplier to its southern neighbor. The country’s highly skilled labor force contributes to steady economic activity.

No. 14

About Haiti

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Index score: 49

Population: 10 million

GDP per capita: $765.68

Median household income: $2,735

Haiti may not be wealthy, but it does rank among the top nations in Gallup’s civic engagement index. Giving has nothing to do with riches, Gallup says, and some of the poorest countries are still willing to give their time and money to helping others.

No. 13

About Norway

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Index score: 50

Population: 5 million

GDP per capita: $75,504.57

Median household income: $51,489

Norway’s educated population supports a stable economy with a vibrant private sector. Its per capita GDP is No. 11 in the world, and the country is the highest exporter of seafood after China. Overall, the Norwegians are very generous, with 65 percent of people reporting having donated money to a charity.

No. 12

About the United Arab Emirates

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Index score: 51

Population: 9.7 million

GDP per capita: $40,698.85

Gross national income per capita: $39,130

The UAE has a high GDP per capita, ranking No. 13 in the world. As the survey found, this has a strong relationship to civic engagement and metrics around generosity. Thanks to diverse economic resources attractive to foreign investors, the country has a significant annual trade surplus. The standard of living has gone up as job creation and infrastructure grow.

No. 11

About The Netherlands

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Index score: 51

Population: 17 million

GDP per capita: $48,223.16

Median household income: $38,584

The Netherlands is the sixth largest economy in the European Union. The country enjoys a trade surplus, as well as low unemployment. When surveyed, 66 percent of Dutch said they’d given money to charity in the past month.

No. 10

About Bahrain

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Index score: 53

Population: 1.4 million

GDP per capita: $23,655.04

Median household income: $24,633

Bahrain’s economy centers around oil and natural gas. The Bahraini are especially generous to strangers, with 74 percent reporting they’ve helped a stranger in need.

No. 9

About Myanmar

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Index score: 54

Population: 53.4 million

GDP per capita: $1,256.66

Gross national income per capita: $1,270

Myanmar (formerly Burma) has consistently topped Gallup’s generosity poll over the years, taking first place the previous year from this survey. The percentage of people giving to charity has remained in the 90 percent range since 2013 and was 88 percent this year. Perhaps a large factor affecting people who gave time and help to strangers recently is the country’s struggle with the Rohingya refugee crisis.

No. 8

About Kenya

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Index score: 54

Population: 48 million

GDP per capita: $1,594.83

Median household income: $1,870

Kenya is one of the highest ranking countries on Gallup’s civic engagement index, despite being a lower middle-income country. Of those surveyed, 45 percent volunteered time to an organization, and 72 percent helped a stranger in need.

No. 7

About Singapore

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Index score: 54

Population: 5.9 million

GDP per capita: $57,714.30

Median household income: $32,360

Singapore ranks among the highest on Gallup’s civic engagement index list. Its economy thrives and maintains one of the highest per capita GDPs among developed countries. Of those surveyed, 39 percent volunteered time to an organization recently.

No. 6

About the United Kingdom

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Index score: 55

Population: 61 million

GDP per capita: $39,720.44

Median household income: $31,617

The UK also ranks as one of the top countries with highest civic engagement. As a wealthy Western country, residents are typically in a better position to give — 68 percent reported donating to a charity recently. The country has the third largest economy in Europe, after Germany and France.

No. 5

About Ireland

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Index score: 56

Population: 5 million

GDP per capita: $69,330.69

Median household income: $52,000

Ireland is small but maintains a high per capita GDP. The economy has been rebounding from its debt challenges of the 2000s, and has been growing in recent years. Its residents are in a better position to be generous — 64 percent donated to charity and 40 percent gave time to an organization recently.

No. 4

About the United States

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Index score: 58

Population: 329 million

GDP per capita: $59,531.66

Median household income: $43,585

Americans donate a lot of money ($410 billion in 2017, according to Gallup). That’s about 2.1 percent of the country’s GDP. Per the poll, 72 percent of Americans helped a stranger and 39 percent volunteered recently.

No. 3

About New Zealand

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Index score: 58

Population: 4.5 million

GDP per capita: $42,940.58

Median household income: $35,562

The wealthy Western country made the top three on highest civic engagement, boosted by increases in real income over the years. When surveyed, 68 percent of New Zealanders said they donated to a charity, and 40 percent said they volunteered their time.

No. 2

About Australia

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Index score: 59

Population: 23 million

GDP per capita: $53,799.94

Median household income: $46,555

Australia consistently ranks in the top 10 countries in civic engagement. Australians benefit from a strong financial system and low unemployment in recent years. According to Gallup, 71 percent reported donating to a charity, and 40 percent volunteered time.

Australia is also ranked among the top travel destinations of the year.

No. 1

About Indonesia

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Index score: 59

Population: 262 million

GDP per capita: $3,846.86

Median household income: $2,199

Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia. It’s not a wealthy country, but its citizens are generous. The country has consistently placed high in Gallup’s metric of civic engagement,. Fifty-three percent of Indonesians reported volunteering in the last month — 6 percent more than any other country’s residents — and 78 percent reported giving money to a charity.