Generosity of any country is measured on the basis of the willingness of its citizens to donate time and money to charity.
A report, released recently by the UK-based Charities Aid Foundation, showed striking variations in charitable behaviour across the world.
The results gave an indication of a 'global Big society' with a fifth of the world's population had volunteered, almost a third of the world's population had given money to charity, and 45 per cent of the world's population had been 'good samaritans' and helped a stranger.
The overall rankings were a composite of three categories -- the percentage of people who donated money, donated time and helped a stranger in the month prior to being surveyed.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Ajay Verma/Reuters
India: Rank 134
World giving index score: 19%
About 14 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 12 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 30 per cent helped a stranger.
Click NEXT to know about world's 20 most generous countries. . .
World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Tim Wimborne/Reuters
1. Australia
World giving index score: 57%
About 70 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 38 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 64 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
2. New Zealand
World giving index score: 57%
About 68 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 41 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 63 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Jonathan Saul/Reuters
3. Ireland
World giving index score: 56%
About 72 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 35 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 60 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Courtesy, City of Vancouver website.
4. Canada
World giving index score: 56%
About 64 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 35 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 68 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
5. Switzerland
World giving index score: 55%
About 71 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 34 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 60 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Hyungwon Kang/Reuters
6. USA
World giving index score: 55%
About 60 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 39 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 65 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Reuters
7. Netherlands
World giving index score: 54%
About 77 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 39 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 46 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Reuters
8. United Kingdom
World giving index score: 53%
About 73 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 29 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 58 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
9. Sri Lanka
World giving index score: 53%
About 58 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 52 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 50 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
10. Austria
World giving index score: 52%
About 69 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 30 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 58 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
11. Lao People's Democratic Republic
World giving index score: 50%
About 64 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 32 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 53 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Simon Akam/Reuters
12. Sierra Leone
World giving index score: 50%
About 29 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 45 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 75 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
13. Malta
World giving index score: 48%
About 83 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 21 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 40 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters
14. Iceland
World giving index score: 47%
About 67 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 26 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 47 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Reuters
15. Turkmenistan
World giving index score: 47%
About 17 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 61 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 62 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Reuters
16. Guyana
World giving index score: 45%
About 36 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 33 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 67 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters
17. Qatar
World giving index score: 45%
About 64 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 18 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 53 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
Photographs: Paul Yeung/Reuters
18. Hong Kong
World giving index score: 44%
About 70 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 13 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 50 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
19. Germany
World giving index score: 44%
About 49 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 28 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 56 per cent helped a stranger.
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World's 20 most generous nations
20. Denmark
World giving index score: 44%
About 67 per cent of the population gave money to charities.
About 20 per cent of the population volunteered time for an organisation.
About 45 per cent helped a stranger.
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