Is America the most generous nation in the world?

Question

If not what country is more generous than the USA?

Answer 1

The U.S. is far and away the world’s largest donor. The OECD calculates U.S. development assistance (based on bilateral assistance, humanitarian assistance, and contributions to multilateral institutions like the International Development Association of the World Bank) in 2003 at $16.2 billion—more than double the amount given by France, Germany, or any other European nation. Japan is second at $8.9 billion.
These numbers do not include private assistance. This is not a major factor for most other nations because private charity is not large in most countries. It is a gigantic oversight when calculating America’s aid ratio, however, because the U.S. Agency for International Development estimated that private assistance was $33.6 billion in 2000.
Data from the OECD reveal that the U.S. gave nearly $2.5 billion in emergency and distress relief in 2003. All other countries combined gave $3.4 billion, including $475 million from France and $350 million from Norway. Moreover, the U.S. contributed nearly 70 percent of all food assistance.
America is the largest contributor to the U.N. budget at 22 percent, or $317 million, in 2004. It gives over 56 percent of the World Food Program budget and $72 million and $94 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, respectively.

Answer 2

This question is so open that I am having a difficult time answering it. It needs to be qualified.

I will define generous as "giving." So, the answer is yes. By default status as the most industrialized nation on the planet we are the most generous. We generously pollute the Earth's waters with our waste products. We generously export our trash to other nations who have citizens who actually live off of that trash! We generously contribute to the ozone depletion. We generously promote war and the rumors of war through our foreign policy actions. We generously . . . You get the picture.

Answer 3

Before you jump to any conclusions, I think it is appropriate to throw in a few adjustments. After all, if you go just on raw numbers, then any large group is going to seem more generous than small ones. But you have to ask: Is a billionaire who gives ten dollars to charity REALLY more generous than a person with only ten dollars to his name who gives half of it away?

If we're talking about GENEROUSITY, then we are talking about states of mind. So a good comparison will adjust for the size of the group (per capita) and perhaps for the relative wealth of the groups as well (GDP is one way).

Here is a very good comparison of such factors:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_eco_aid_don_percap-economic-aid-donor-per-capita
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_eco_aid_don_pergdp-economic-aid-donor-per-gdp

You'll note that per capita, America is not first by a longshot. First is Luxembourg... America is NINTEENTH on that list, with economic aid per capita only a twentieth of the first place. Not even close.

America does no better by GDP. There Demark is first (Luxembourg is second) and America is TWENTY-FIRST. Again it's not even close - America gives only a fifteenth as much of its GDP in economic aid.

So although America is indisputably generous (by the fact that it's on the list at all!), a fair analysis could not possibly rate it as the most generous. Most effective in some cases, perhaps, if the raw dollar amount summed up higher. But that's not a matter of generousity... that's just having more in the first place.

Answer 4

When it comes to foreign aid America is by far the most generous nation on Earth. No other nation even comes close.

When it comes to taking care of its citizens, America is a far cry from Canada, the UK etc. America does little to take care of its taxpayers, veterans, elderly, etc. True Canadian and British taxation levels are higher, but a Canadian is not going to lose his/her home just because he/she got laid off and happened to get sick. Few Canadians take up a "mortgage" to pay tuition costs.

And America expects it's soldiers to sacrifice or die for America, yet when a soldier gets injured, America does not stand beside the soldier and take care of him/her. Sacrifice is a one way street. This is not right.

Answer 5

Oh yes, the USA is extremely generous at "giving" whether the recipients want it or not. Extremely generous at pushing the American "way" of life on other cultures without regard for their feelings in the matter. Yeah, great.

Answer 6

On paper, yes.

However, once we take into account all the illegal warfare under the guise of "moral crusading", American corporations keeping third world countries ground into the dirt, and all the rest, it kinda negates the generosity of its citizens. Which is a crying shame.

Answer 7

no other nation has so generously shared it's bullets, bombs, cheap plastic knick-knacks, and propaganda with the rest of the world as the USA has. Thanks, America! The rest of us will be sure to return the favour and send the chickens home to roost just as soon as we can.

Answer 8

Without Question! No other country has been as generous to it's friends as well as it's enemy's.

Answer 9

One word: no! Canada is alot more generous.

Answer 10

Americans are....not sure if America is....