MYANMAR IS THE WORLD’S MOST CHARITABLE COUNTRY

The World Giving Index is an annual report that aims to “…provide insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world.” The paper uses data from the market research firm Gallup’s World Poll Initiative – a survey of people in over 160 countries. The 2014 index produced a very striking result: Tied atop the rankings at number one are two very different countries – The United States, and Myanmar. Understanding how this Southeast Asian nation could find itself at the top of this list will shed light on the country, and help anyone who plans to visit or do business in Myanmar to better understand the culture.

In order to ensure that “giving” is understood in its various forms across cultures and language barriers, the report is based on answers to three separate questions examining three different types of giving. The pollsters ask participants which of the following have they done in the last month:

• Donated money to charity
• Volunteered your time to an organisation
• Helped a stranger, or someone you didn’t know who needed help

The report ranks each country based on an aggregate score of all three questions. The whole paper is worth a glance, and there are some useful infographics displaying the results and some of the surprises therein.

One thing in the report that seems to have caught most people off guard is the fact that the top spot is shared by the country with the world’s highest per capita GDP, and another with one of its lowest. This is hardly surprising to us, as we live and work here and see daily the generosity of the people. Myanmar expats, and probably anybody who has spent much time in the country will also likely not be too shocked by the ranking.

Myanmar is on a blazing streak of economic growth and rising incomes and living standards, but it still remains a poor country, especially in the more rural areas. So how is it that so many people with so little could score so high in these rankings? A quick look at the breakdown of the score gives a hint. Myanmar had 91% of poll participants answering “yes” to the question about donating money in the last month. Considering that no other country in the top 20 even breaks the 80% mark, and only Malta crosses the 75% threshold, this is fairly amazing.

So why is it that Myanmar leads the world in the percentage of people donating money? The answer lies in the country’s religion. Myanmar is predominantly a Theravada Buddhist country (as are Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka – the latter two of which were numbers 21 and 9 respectively, in the survey). With an estimated 500,000 monks, Myanmar has the highest proportion of monks by population of any Buddhist country. Monks receive everything – from their food, to their iconic robes – from their lay followers’ donations.

Theravada Buddhists believe they attain merit through charity and good deeds – dana – and this in turn leads to a favorable rebirth. Religion in Myanmar is so integral to every aspect of life and community, and donating is such a big part of the religion, that it’s hardly surprising that Myanmar finds itself at the top of the World Giving Index. Anyone who has lived or traveled in Myanmar will understand that this spirit of generosity does not begin and end at the temple steps; the people in Myanmar extend this same spirit of goodwill to strangers every day. Whether it’s just a kind smile, helping a lost tourist, inviting travelers to a cup of tea, or taking time out to share their country and culture with an outsider, the people of Myanmar are incredibly generous and hospitable. Many news outlets reported this striking contrast – the United States and Myanmar tying for the top spot in the survey – as the most shocking part. Those of us who live here, or who have spent any time in the country, well, we’re glad the world is taking notice, but we were not too surprised.