Happier people are more likely to donate money to charitable causes than those who are wealthy, a study by the Charities Aid Foundation reveals.
The study used a Gallup survey on the charitable behavior of people in 153 countries. It examined the relationship between giving and a nation’s GDP as well as between donating and the happiness of a country’s population.
Australia and New Zealand led the countries in terms of generosity of their citizens.
“Donating money to charity is something that is traditionally seen as being driven by how wealthy a person is. However, it is clear that happiness plays an important role in influencing whether people give,” said Richard Harrison, CAF director of research.
“The findings suggest a positive cycle where one person gives to charity, the charity improves the happiness of the individuals they support and they in turn are more likely to give,” he added.
