Where Philanthropy Dollars Are Concentrated

A recent landmark study, three years in the making, has revealed where philanthropy dollars are concentrated around the world. It was compiled by the Harvard Kennedy School with support from UBS and it represents the first attempt to understand philanthropic practices and trends in different countries. In recent years, philanthropy has experienced a boom across the world in line with rising global wealth levels.

In total, 250,000 foundations were identified across 38 different countries and 72 percent of them were established within the past 25 years. The highest concentration of foundations is in Europe (154,271) while North America also has a considerable number (91,850). Unsurprisingly, they tend to be more common in high-income countries where they control serious levels of cash. The following infographic shows the assets held by philanthropy foundations at country level. The United States leads the way with $890 billion while the Netherlands comes second with $108 billion and Germany is third with $93 billion. China is also present on the list, rounding off the top-10 with just over $14 billion.