Indonesians, New Zealanders and Australians Among Most Charitable in Asia Pacific

As the festive season approaches, some cheer awaits the less fortunate as consumers across the region continue to be committed to giving despite the current economic environment. More than half (52.7%) of the region’s consumers plan to make charitable donations in the next 12 months, with consumers in Indonesia (88.3%), New Zealand (77%) and Australia (66%) being the most generous.

These were the findings from a consumer survey conducted between 1 to 29 September 2008. A total of 6,019 consumers were surveyed in 14 markets: Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

More than 12% of consumers across the region are planning to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year, with the fairer sex (54.3%) being slightly more charitable than their male counterparts (51.4%).

Interestingly, consumers who are divorced/widowed (with 65.9% planning to donate) are more generous than those who are single (50.8%) or married (53.3%). More than 50% of consumers across all age groups have plans to make donations in the coming 12 months, with those aged between 46-55 years being the most generous (57.5%), and those 30 years and below (50.4%) the least.

“It is heartening to see that consumers across the region are still looking to spread some cheer despite the trying economic environment. While giving patterns differ across the various demographics, it is encouraging to see that more than 50% of consumers across all groups were planning to make charitable donations in the next 12 months,” said Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia Pacific, MasterCard Worldwide.

Market Highlights

Australia

• The majority of Australian consumers (45.5%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 4.5% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Male consumers in most age groups are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 72.4% of males under 30 years old, 84.4% of men aged 46-55 years old and 66.7% of men above 56 years of age are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 65.5% of women under 30 years of age, 73% of women aged 46-55 years old and 46.7% of women above 56 years old.

• Females aged 31-45 years old are however more generous, with 60.7% of women planning to donate compared to 48.6% of men in that age bracket.

• Interestingly, unlike most of the markets in the region, single men in Australia are slightly more generous than single women, with 71.6% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 71.4% of single women.

China

• The majority of Chinese consumers (47.7%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 8.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 43% of females aged 30 years and below and 54.3% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations over the coming 12 months, compared to 39.2% of males aged 30 years and below and 48.3% of males aged 31-45 years old.

• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 60.2% of men vs. 58.5% of women aged 46-55 and 75% of men vs. 68.4% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female consumers are more generous compared to single males, with 49.3% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 40.6% of single males.

Hong Kong

• The majority of consumers in Hong Kong (59.1%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 2.9% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Male consumers aged 31 years and above are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 46.2% of males aged 31-45 years old, 24% of men aged 46-55 years old and 30% of men above 56 years old are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 30.4% of women aged 31-45 years old, 23.5% of women aged 46-55 years old and 12.5% of women above 56 years old.

• Younger females are however more generous, with 65.7% of women aged under 30 years old planning to donate compared to 59% of men in that age bracket.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female consumers are more generous compared to single males, with 59.1% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 55% of single males.

Indonesia

• The majority of consumers in Indonesia (86.4%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 10.2% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Male consumers under 30 years of age and those from 46-55 years old are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 92.2% of males aged under 30, and 88.1% of men between the ages of 46-55 years old are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 84.7% of women aged under 30 and 87% of women aged 46-55 years old.

• Females between the ages of 31-45 years old and those above 56 years of age are more generous – 90.6% of females aged 31-45 years old and 90.9% of females aged above 56 years old vs. 87% of men aged 31-45 years old and 86.4% of men aged above 56 years old respectively are planning to donate in the coming 12 months.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female are more generous compared to single males, with 88.3% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 86.7% of single males.

India

• The majority of consumers in India (47.3%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 11.1% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months - 40.6% of females vs. 26.1% of males aged 30 years and below; 34.5% of females vs. 34.4% of males aged 31-45 years old; 41.7% of females vs. 38.2% of males aged 46-55 years old.

• Only in the age bracket above 56 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 32.4% of males and 30.8% of females looking to donate.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 42.9% of single females looking to make a charitable donation compared to 27.3% of single males.

Korea

• The majority of Korean consumers (35.7%) plan to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes.

• While younger females aged under 30 years old are more generous than their male counterparts in the same age range, the older men (56 years and above) are more willing to open their wallets for a good cause. 48.1% of female consumers aged 30 and below plan to donate to charitable causes in the next 12 months, compared with 31.8% of males in the same age bracket. On the other hand, 68.2% of male consumers vs. 50% of female consumers aged 56 years and above plan to donate in the coming 12 months.

• In the other age groups, 46% of females vs. 46.8% of males aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations, while 53.3% of female consumers vs. 45.5% of male consumers aged 46-55 years old are looking to give to charity.

• Similar to giving patterns in other markets, single female Koreans (40.4%) are more generous, compared to their male counterparts (38.7%). 

Malaysia

• The majority of consumers in Malaysia (48.1%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 4.9% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• At both ends of the age spectrum, females are more generous than the men. 56.4% of females vs. 39.5% of males aged 30 years and under plan to make a charitable donation in the next 12 months. For those 56 years and above, 50% of females vs. 28.6% of males are looking to donate.

• However, it looks like Malaysian men in their mid-life are more generous. A higher percentage of men than women aged 31-45 and 46-55 are looking to spread some cheer among the less fortunate. 47.8% of men aged 31-45 years and 58.1% of men aged 46-55 years plan to open their wallets to give in the next 12 months, compared to 39.4% of women aged 31-45 years and 41.4% of women aged 46-55 years old.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 55.4% of females vs. 45.4% of males looking to make a donation.

Japan

• The majority of Japanese consumers (57.8%) plan to donate less than 1% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while only 3.4% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 23.7% of females aged 30 years and below and 28% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations in the coming 12 months, compared to 14.5% of males aged 30 years and below and 23.3% of males aged 31-45 years old.

• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 42.6% of men vs. 38.5% of women aged 46-55 years old and 37% of men vs. 36.4% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 27.1% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 16.8% of single males.

New Zealand

• The majority of consumers in New Zealand (41.2%) plan to donate less than 1%of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 7.8% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Male consumers in most age groups are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 75.9% of males under 30 years old, 87% of men aged 46-55 years old and 89.2% of men above 56 years of age are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 62.9% of women aged under 30 years, 75% of women aged 46-55 years old and 61.5% of women above 56 years of age.

• Females aged 31-45 years old are however more generous, with 80% of women planning to donate compared to 76.6% of men in that age bracket.

• Interestingly, unlike most of the markets in the region, single men in New Zealand are more generous than single women, with 80.7% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 70.6% of single women.

Philippines

• The majority of consumers in the Philippines (46.5%) plan to donate between 2%-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 35.4% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 73.4% of females vs. 68.1% of males aged 30 years and below; 78.3% of females vs. 51.8% of males aged 46-55 years old; 80% of females vs. 51.7% of males aged above 56 years old.

• Only in the age bracket 31-45 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 64.3% of males and 62.9% of females looking to donate.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, single females are more generous compared to single males, with 76.1% of single females looking to make a charitable donation compared to 65.9% of single males.

Singapore

• The majority of Singaporean consumers (39.4%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 19.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 44.1% of females vs. 42% of males aged 30 years and below; 54.4% of females vs. 43.5% of males aged 31-45 years old; 51.3% of females vs. 40.4% of males aged 46-55 years old.

• Only in the age bracket above 56 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 61.1% of males and 42.9% of females looking to donate.

• Interestingly, unlike most of the other markets in the region, single men in Singapore are slightly more generous than single women, with 46.5% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 43.6% of single women.

Taiwan

• The majority of Taiwanese consumers (48.6%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 5.8% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 47.3% of females vs. 40.3% of males aged 31-45 years old; 50% of females vs. 44.4% of males from 46-55 years old and 57.9% of females vs. 51.3% of males above 56 years old.

• Only among those aged under 30 years old are men slightly more generous than women, with 37% of males and 27.8% of females looking to donate.

• Interestingly, unlike most of the other markets in the region, single men in Taiwan are more generous than single women, with 40% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 34.6% of single women.

Thailand (survey was conducted before the Bangkok Airports Crisis)

• The majority of Thai consumers (62.2%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 13.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 64.1% of females aged 30 years and below and 60% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations in the coming 12 months, compared to 54.5% of males aged 30 years and below and 58.8% of males aged 31-45 years old.

• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 73.9% of men vs. 64.7% of women aged 46-55 and 72.2% of men vs. 68.2% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 62.7% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 55.6% of single males.

Vietnam

• The majority of Vietnamese consumers (51%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 5% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 52.4% of females vs. 45.5% of males aged 30 years and below; 52.9% of females vs. 48.2% of males aged 31-45 years old; 62.5% of females vs. 50% of males above 56 years old.

• Only among those aged 46-55 years old are men slightly more generous than women, with 53.7% of males and 47.4% of females looking to donate.

• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 51% of females vs. 42.3% males looking to make a donation.

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