The UK is now the 75th most generous country in the world, according to figures from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
CAF’s latest World Giving Report research ranked the UK 11 places lower than last year in terms of the proportion of donors’ income that is given to good causes.
On average, people in the UK gave 0.7% of their income via charities, religious routes and directly to people in need, lower than a global average of 1% and Nigeria’s chart-topping proportion of 2.8%.
A greater proportion of Brits donated (70%) than the global average of 61%, but Nigeria came first in this measure as well at 89% of its population.
The UK ranked 5th globally in terms of charity donations specifically as 62% of Brits did so, while Ireland led this measure on 68%.
UK donors gave a relatively high proportion of donations (18%) to international charities, compared to a 14% average globally.
However, a smaller proportion of donations (24%) from Brits went to local charities than the global average of 45%.
A lower-than-average proportion of Brits gave money via religious routes (15%) and directly to people in need (21%) than the global averages of 23% and 36% respectively.
The global overall average of 61% of people donating in 2025 is a decline from 64% in CAF’s report last year.
According to the research, based on surveys of more than 60,000 people in 105 countries, people in Africa give an average of 1.6% of their income in 2025, compared to 0.6% in Europe.
Mark Greer, managing director at CAF, said: “Giving is deeply personal based on different factors including values, circumstances and experiences.
“By understanding these influences and how they appear around the world, we can learn what drives vibrant cultures of giving to support the resilience of civil society.
“We all have a role to play in growing giving. Encouraging conversations, and more importantly, action by individuals, charities, businesses, and governments can help build stronger and more thriving civil societies.”
