The Philippines was recognized as a “giving nation” in the World Giving Report 2025, with a higher percentage of Filipinos donating money and contributing their income to causes or to make a difference.
The country ranked 24th out of 101 countries based on the proportion of income Filipinos donate. Meanwhile, the Philippines ranked 44th based on Filipinos’ perception of generosity.
“The Philippines ranks higher than the global and continent averages on the perceptions of their own generosity and the country’s generosity,” the report said.
It noted this suggests Filipinos’ willingness to allocate more money to charity despite other financial obligations.
The report showed that 1.46 percent of Filipinos’ income was donated by any means in 2024, higher than both the global and continental averages.
Reasons cited for this included Filipinos’ perception of caring about a cause and making a difference (77 percent), setting an example for others (46 percent) and supporting local communities (39 percent), among others.
“While Filipinos share the top reason with global and continent counterparts, ‘I want to set an example’ and ‘I want to support my local community’ are far more important,” the report noted.
“This reflects the strong Filipino orientation toward localism. As the Philippines is characterized by diverse cultures, languages, and histories in different localities/regions, Filipinos often feel a strong sense of identity and belonging tied to their own communities. This deep-rooted connection fosters a natural tendency to give to their own localities first,” it said.
A significant number of Filipinos surveyed also said they did not give away money last year. These Filipinos cited being unable to afford to give money (36 percent), preferring to give other support like gifts or food (31 percent), and not having been asked to give money (12 percent).
Children or young people, religion or religious organizations, and elderly people were the top three main reasons Filipinos chose to give money in 2024.
“Filipinos tend to support causes where they can see immediate and tangible impact, often driven by compassion or malasakit [compassion, concern and care for others] for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities,” the report said.
