A new global report has revealed that Sierra Leone ranks second in the world for the strength of its citizens’ sense of local belonging, a key factor linked to higher levels of generosity and charitable giving.

According to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Report 2026, 94% of people in Sierra Leone reported having a ‘very’ or ‘fairly strong’ sense of belonging to their local community. This places the country just behind Saudi Arabia, which ranked first with 96%, and ahead of other nations with high social cohesion like Kenya and Tanzania, which both recorded 93%.

The findings, which surveyed over 60,000 people across 105 countries, underscore a powerful global trend: a strong sense of community is one of the most significant drivers of generosity. The report notes that in countries where over 80% of the population feels a strong local connection, people give nearly three times more to good causes than in countries where this sense of belonging is low.

Sierra Leone’s Key Civic Engagement Data

The World Giving Report’s “Explore the Data” section provides a detailed snapshot of civic engagement in Sierra Leone:

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  • Sense of Local Belonging: 94% of the population feels a ‘very’ or ‘fairly strong’ connection to their community (2nd globally).

  • Perception of Charities: 75% of people believe charities have had a ‘very’ or ‘fairly positive’ impact on their local community.

  • Desire to Help: 43% of people expressed a desire to get more involved in creating change but are unsure how to do so.

  • Trust in Charities: The average trust score for local, national, and international charities is 7.6 out of 10.

  • Volunteerism: 34% of the population volunteered their time in 2025.

  • Giving Goods: 35% of people gave goods to a charity or a person in need.

Mark Greer, Managing Director at the Charities Aid Foundation, emphasised the importance of such findings. “Giving is deeply personal based on different factors including values, circumstances and experiences,” he stated. “By understanding these influences and how they appear around the world, we can learn what drives vibrant cultures of giving to support the resilience of civil society”.

The report also found that while 61% of people worldwide made a donation in 2025, this is a slight decrease from 64% in 2024. However, the deep sense of community in places like Sierra Leone appears to be a powerful foundation for continued social support and civic engagement. The ten most generous countries globally, measured by the proportion of income given, are all located in Africa and Asia, with Nigeria ranking first by donating an average of 2.8% of their income.