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Giving Tied More to Happiness than Wealth September 26, 2010

A new study by published by a British foundation finds that happiness is a better indicator of a person’s generosity than wealth.

The World Giving Index used data from Gallup’s Worldview World Poll to analyze three types of giving: giving money, volunteering, and helping a stranger. Australia and New Zealand topped the list of 153 countries (representing 95% of the world’s population).

Of course, one wonders – do happier people give, or are giving people happier?

The survey does suggest that there is a “positive cycle of giving.” It theorizes, “Those who donate are likely to help improve the happiness of others, who in turn may be more likely to give to charity and so on.”

It also has interesting ideas on how age, region and other factors effect the way we give. Download the report to read more.