Global giving is still enormous, with $1.2 trillion reported for 2022, yet the World Giving Index shows a sharp post COVID dip in helping strangers, falling by 42% worldwide. At the same time, giving is changing shape fast, from online and mobile donations to impact investing worth $1.164 trillion in 2022 and foundations holding $1.3 trillion in assets. This post pulls together the latest signal from those shifts, including who is helping, where the money goes, and what people do when budgets tighten.
Key Takeaways
- Global charitable giving totaled $1.2 trillion in 2022 per estimates.
- World Giving Index score average: 40.3% in 2023.
- Indonesia topped World Giving Index 2023 with 91% helping stranger.
- Bill Gates pledged $20B to health sector 2022-2026.
- MacKenzie Scott donated $2.7B in 2023 to 300+ orgs.
- Michael Bloomberg gave $1.66B in 2022, mostly politics.
- U.S. giving to education: 14% of total in 2022 ($71B).
- Religion sector: 26% of U.S. giving ($132B) 2022.
- Health giving U.S.: 9% share ($44B) 2022.
- U.S. individual giving grew 2% to $370B in 2022.
- Global giving stagnated post-COVID, -1% growth 2022.
- Online giving up 12% globally 2022-2023.
- In 2022, total U.S. charitable giving reached $499.33 billion, a 3.4% decline from 2021 after inflation adjustment.
- Giving by individuals in the U.S. totaled $369.58 billion in 2022, representing 74% of total giving.
- Foundation giving in the U.S. hit a record $188.05 billion in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021.
In 2022 global giving reached $1.2 trillion as more people donated through modern online and mobile channels.
Related reading
01 · Category
Global Philanthropy25 stats
01
Global charitable giving totaled $1.2 trillion in 2022 per estimates.
02
World Giving Index score average: 40.3% in 2023.
03
Indonesia topped World Giving Index 2023 with 91% helping stranger.
04
Kenya ranked 2nd globally, 85% donated money past month.
05
Nigeria: 80% helped stranger in 2023 WGI.
06
Global volunteering rate: 12.8% in 2023.
07
1 in 3 people globally donated in past month 2023.
08
China WGI score rose 11 places to 15th in 2023.
09
UK giving: £11.3 billion in 2022/23.
10
Global foundations assets: $1.3 trillion in 2022.
11
International philanthropy to developing countries: $58B in 2020.
12
Remittances to low/middle-income countries: $626B in 2022.
13
Global crowdfunding for charity: $1.4B in 2022.
14
Europe's philanthropic giving: €138B in 2021.
15
Asia-Pacific high-net-worth giving: $25B in 2022.
16
Middle East philanthropy: $6.5B from HNWIs in 2021.
17
Africa private philanthropy: $8.9B annually estimated.
18
Global impact investing assets: $1.164 trillion in 2022.
19
74 countries in World Giving Index 2023.
20
Global youth giving (18-24): 28% donated 2023.
21
Women globally 10% more likely to donate than men.
22
Global org donations via PayPal: $10B since 2019.
23
42% global score decline in helping strangers post-COVID.
24
Latin America avg WGI score: 35% in 2023.
25
Global private foundation giving: $110B in 2021.
Interpretation
Global Philanthropy Interpretation
While humanity’s charitable impulse remains an economic powerhouse at $1.2 trillion, the true, bustling engine of global generosity is not found in foundations or billionaire pledges, but in the daily, mundane kindness of billions of ordinary people, especially in the Global South, where helping a stranger is as common as breathing, proving that altruism is alive, well, and surprisingly democratic.
02 · Category
Major Donors21 stats
01
Bill Gates pledged $20B to health sector 2022-2026.
02
MacKenzie Scott donated $2.7B in 2023 to 300+ orgs.
03
Michael Bloomberg gave $1.66B in 2022, mostly politics.
04
Warren Buffett lifetime giving: $51B to Gates Foundation.
05
George Soros Open Society: $32B endowed total.
06
Phil Knight (Nike) $2B to UO in 2022.
07
Elon Musk donated Tesla shares worth $5.7B to charity 2021.
08
Azim Premji gave $21B lifetime, India top donor.
09
Jack Ma/ Alibaba founded $15B rural teacher fund.
10
Mukesh Ambani Reliance Foundation: $1B+ yearly.
11
Dustin Moskovitz gave $200M to top charities 2022.
12
Pierre Omidyar $500M to Ukraine 2022.
13
Laurene Powell Jobs $500M to climate 2022.
14
Sergey Brin/Anne Wojcicki $1B to Parkinson's.
15
Reed Hastings $1.1B Netflix stock to education.
16
Melanie Perkins/Steve Garland Canva $275M to education.
17
John Doerr $1.3B to climate/Stanford.
18
Charles Koch Foundation $500M+ yearly avg.
19
Walton Family Foundation $1B+ annually.
20
Ford Foundation $1B grants 2022.
21
Gordon Moore $5B endowed to conservation.
Interpretation
Major Donors Interpretation
Taken together, these pledges reveal a dynamic, sometimes competitive philanthropic landscape where a handful of individuals wield financial influence comparable to nations, yet often with the speed and focus of a startup.
03 · Category
Sector Breakdown25 stats
01
U.S. giving to education: 14% of total in 2022 ($71B).
02
Religion sector: 26% of U.S. giving ($132B) 2022.
03
Health giving U.S.: 9% share ($44B) 2022.
04
Human services: 15% of U.S. donations ($77B) 2022.
05
Global health philanthropy: $10B annually to vaccines.
06
Education philanthropy global: 20% of foundation giving.
07
Environment sector U.S. giving up 10.7% to $9B 2022.
08
Arts/culture U.S.: 4% ($19B) of giving 2022.
09
International affairs U.S. giving: 2% ($10B) 2022.
10
Public-society benefit: 9% U.S. ($46B) 2022.
11
Animal welfare global donations: $5B yearly est.
12
Poverty alleviation: 25% of global giving.
13
Disaster relief spikes: 300% post-event avg.
14
Mental health philanthropy U.S.: $1.5B in 2022.
15
Climate change giving global: $8.1B in 2021.
16
Higher ed U.S. got 60% of education giving ($43B).
17
K-12 education U.S.: $6B in 2022.
18
Global hunger relief: $20B private aid yearly.
19
Youth/sports sector U.S.: 1% of giving.
20
35% global foundation giving to social welfare.
21
Medical research U.S.: $12B philanthropy 2022.
22
Housing/homeless U.S.: part of human services $77B.
23
Civil rights/advocacy U.S.: $4B est. 2022.
24
Animal orgs global: 2-3% of total philanthropy.
25
Tech for good sector: $500M VC philanthropy hybrid.
Interpretation
Sector Breakdown Interpretation
Americans, in their charitable giving, seem to be investing heavily in the hereafter, with 26% to religion, while cautiously hedging their bets on the here and now, allocating 14% to education and 9% to health.
More related reading
04 · Category
Trends and Growth20 stats
01
U.S. individual giving grew 2% to $370B in 2022.
02
Global giving stagnated post-COVID, -1% growth 2022.
03
Online giving up 12% globally 2022-2023.
04
DAF assets U.S. $234B end 2022, up 5%.
05
ESG investing philanthropy hybrid grew 20% to $1.2T.
06
Cryptocurrency donations U.S.: $2.5B since 2017.
07
Monthly recurring donations up 40% post-pandemic.
08
U.S. giving to religion down 25% since 2000 peak.
09
Foundation giving share doubled since 2000 to 38%.
10
Gen Z volunteering up 15% 2020-2022.
11
Corporate giving up 4.1% inflation-adjusted 2022.
12
Impact measurement adoption: 70% foundations 2023.
13
Global HNW giving % income: 1.6% avg 2022.
14
U.S. boomer giving peak, down 10% 2022.
15
Mobile giving: 30% of donations under $100.
16
Volunteerism global down 5% since 2019.
17
AI in philanthropy: 25% orgs using 2023.
18
Megadonors under 40 up 50% decade.
19
Cash donations down 20%, stock up 30% U.S. 2022.
20
DEI giving U.S.: $16B since 2020.
Interpretation
Trends and Growth Interpretation
The data paints a picture of a philanthropic landscape in energetic, if sometimes awkward, transition, where global generosity falters while new tools and younger ambitions—from ESG to DAFs to Gen Z volunteers—reshape the very meaning and mechanics of giving.
05 · Category
U.S. Philanthropy30 stats
01
In 2022, total U.S. charitable giving reached $499.33 billion, a 3.4% decline from 2021 after inflation adjustment.
02
Giving by individuals in the U.S. totaled $369.58 billion in 2022, representing 74% of total giving.
03
Foundation giving in the U.S. hit a record $188.05 billion in 2022, up 7.5% from 2021.
04
Bequests accounted for $42.88 billion in U.S. giving in 2022, a 7.9% increase year-over-year.
05
Corporate giving in the U.S. was $29.48 billion in 2022, up 3.4% from prior year.
06
Religion received $132.22 billion in U.S. donations in 2022, 26.4% of total giving.
07
Human services got $76.58 billion in 2022 U.S. giving, 15.5% share.
08
Education donations in U.S. totaled $71.22 billion in 2022.
09
Foundations surged to 38% of U.S. total giving in 2022.
10
U.S. giving as percentage of GDP was 1.97% in 2022.
11
In 2021, U.S. giving hit $484.87 billion record.
12
Itemized deductions for charity by U.S. taxpayers fell to 24.2 million in 2021.
13
U.S. megagifts over $100M numbered 66 in 2022.
14
Average U.S. household donation was $3,306in 2022.
15
50% of U.S. adults donated to charity in 2022.
16
Boomers gave 60% of U.S. itemized charitable dollars in 2021.
17
U.S. online giving grew 3.7% to $57.7B in 2022.
18
69% of U.S. donors give via mobile in 2023.
19
U.S. giving to international affairs rose 8.3% in 2022.
20
Arts/culture received $19.02B in U.S. 2022.
21
Environment/animals got $9.45B U.S. donations 2022.
22
Health orgs received $44.12B in U.S. 2022.
23
Public-society benefit orgs: $45.79B U.S. 2022.
24
U.S. donors under 30: 31% donated in 2022.
25
Gen Z U.S. giving rate: 52% in past month 2022.
26
U.S. volunteer rate: 23.2% of population in 2022.
27
Corporate matching gifts in U.S.: $2B annually avg.
28
65% of Fortune 500 cos have matching programs.
29
U.S. DAF grants reached $49.68B in 2022.
30
Number of U.S. DAF accounts: 1,180,000 in 2022.
Interpretation
U.S. Philanthropy Interpretation
The charitable heart of America still beats strong, with foundations and bequests picking up the slack as individual giving tightened its belt, proving that generosity evolves faster than a Boomer's checkbook in a digital age.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Philanthropy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/philanthropy-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Philanthropy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/philanthropy-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Philanthropy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/philanthropy-statistics.
Sources & references
49 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level