LONDON - British Muslims donate more than four times as much to charity annually as the average Brit, making them the United Kingdom' s (UK) most generous demographic, according to a recent study by an online fundraising and campaign consultancy.

 

As per the report by Blue State, British Muslims contributed an average of £708 each over 12 months, in stark contrast to the £165 given by the broader UK population.

 

The researchers noted this pattern across all income brackets, highlighting the highest levels of charitable giving among individuals earning between £75,000 and £100,000 annually.

 

The research also revealed that British Muslims are twice as inclined to fundraise through community events and personal challenges like marathon running.

 

When considering the mandatory charitable obligation of Zakat in Islam, 61 per cent of British Muslim respondents directed their donations to Islamic charities, while 14 per cent chose to support secular charities.

Nevertheless, the report found that half of the Muslim respondents expressed willingness to allocate Zakat, an Islamic form of charity, to non-religious organisations.

 

Nearly half of British Muslims reported donating their Zakat in multiple instalments.Throughout the year, approximately 73 per cent of survey participants donated to charity either an amount equivalent to or exceeding their Zakat.

 

Last year, 17 per cent of British Muslims reported volunteering in person, contrasting with the 11 per cent of respondents overall who did the same.

 

Additionally, a higher proportion of British Muslims, at 13 per cent, were engaged with community organisations, compared to 7 per cent of the general population.

 

International donations were a significant priority for Muslim donors, with 85 per cent contributing internationally in the past 12 months, contrasting sharply with the UK average of 48 per cent .

 

Three-quarters of British Muslim respondents indicated that they had already made donations to support Palestinians affected by the conflict in Gaza.

 

Both the general population and British Muslims displayed comparable high rates of donations to food banks and charity shops.

 

Fadi Itani, CEO of the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF), said that while the findings did not come as a shock, he found it encouraging to witness the acknowledgement of the generosity within British Muslim philanthropy as highlighted in the report.

 

Itani said: “Giving to others in charity is a fundamental pillar of Islam, with Zakat as obligatory giving to those who can afford it and also the giving of voluntary charity being highly encouraged.”

Adding, “It is important to see the value and contribution of UK Muslims to civil society widely recognised and for donors to also understand how powerful their giving can be.”

 

Jasmine Miah, Senior Strategist at Blue State, said, “This research built on a study we undertook last year—when digging down into a national survey, we could see hints that British Muslims seemed to be the most generous group in British society.

 

“We knew we needed to go further, and with this comprehensive survey, with 3,000 people surveyed in total and more than 1,000 of them British Muslims, we can finally confirm this finding.

 

“These findings have implications for British charities and how they engage the whole of society to provide essential services, but they also reflect a positive and generous attitude not only to donations but also to community life from the UK Muslim population.” -(ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/04 May 2024 - - -