Ireland and Romania have emerged among Europe’s most generous countries, according to a new global report examining how many people donate and how much of their income they give to good causes.
The World Giving Report, published by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), found that nearly six in 10 Europeans gave money during 2025. Donations included contributions to charities, religious organisations and direct financial support for people in need.
CAF surveyed 60,443 people across 105 countries between January 5 and February 18, 2026, asking about their giving habits during the previous year.
Ireland recorded one of the highest rates of charitable giving in Europe. More than two-thirds of people in the country said they donated to charity in 2025, slightly ahead of the Netherlands. Charitable donations in Ireland averaged around 0.4% of income.
Romania showed a different pattern. Only 27% of people reported giving specifically to charities, but those who did donate gave an average of 0.4% of their income.
When donations to charities, religious causes and people in need were combined, Romania ranked first in the European Union. Donations represented an average of 0.9% of income, followed by Croatia at 0.8% and Ireland at 0.7%.
The three largest EU economies recorded lower levels of giving. Germany, France and Italy each averaged around 0.4% of income in total donations.
Europe was the least generous continent when donations were measured against income. Europeans gave an average of 0.6% of their income, compared with 1% worldwide.
The report also identified a strong link between generosity and community ties. Countries where more than 80% of people reported a strong sense of belonging to their local community recorded average giving levels three times higher than countries where fewer than half felt such a connection.
Charitable organisations were the most common recipients of donations in Europe, with 38% of people giving through this route. Another 26% gave directly to people in need, while 14% supported religious organisations or causes.
Children and young people were the most widely supported cause in Europe, receiving donations from 29% of donors.
Globally, Nigeria ranked as the most generous country, with people giving an average of 2.8% of their income. Eight of the world’s 10 most generous countries were in Africa, while two were in Asia.
Japan recorded the lowest average giving at 0.2% of income. Only 15% of people there donated specifically to charities, while trust in charities averaged just five out of 10.
Affordability was the leading reason people gave for not donating. About 39% said they could not afford to give, rising to 44% among people in high-income countries. Another 17% preferred to support others through volunteering, donating goods or fundraising.
