How India gives: Faith leads India’s household donations, shows report

The study estimates the annual market size of household donations at ₹54,000 crore, far exceeding the ₹28,000 crore spent by companies under mandatory corporate social responsibility (CSR) norms annually. However, most of these contributions remain informal in nature.

Titled ‘How India Gives 2025-26’, the report is based on telephonic surveys conducted between April and June 2025, and has a sample size of 7,225 households across 20 states.

Donations to destitutes are the second biggest category at 42%. The lowest share of giving was towards friends, family and relatives at 9%.

Around 68% of those surveyed reported giving in some form, indicating that everyday giving is widespread.

Men (71%) were more likely to donate than women (64%), whereas households in urban areas (70%) were slightly ahead of rural households (66%) in charitable donations. Northern states (74%) were the strongest contributors, whereas eastern (66%) and western (61%) regions lag behind.

If we zoom into the two sources of donations, the data shows that rural households were more likely to donate to religious entities than urban counterparts. Donations to destitutes show a reversal in trend with urban households giving more than rural ones. Households in the country’s southern states were the least likely to give to religious organizations.

In-kind donations are the most common mode of giving, accounting for 48% of all charitable donations by Indian households. This is followed closely by cash donations at 44%. Physical volunteering for a cause was reported by nearly a third of respondents.

“Around 30% of respondents volunteer, marking a notable increase compared to previous surveys,” the study said.

A key finding of the survey is the strong link between education and the likelihood of giving. While charitable participation cuts across income and literacy levels, it rises steadily with higher educational attainment.

About half of those with education below class 5 reported making donations, but this proportion increases sharply among those who have completed secondary education and climbs further among graduates, postgraduates, and those with doctoral degrees.