It’s not the US! According to The Economist, the rankings contain a few surprises:

Australia               57%  

New Zealand        57%

Canada                  56%

Ireland                  56%

Switzerland          55%

US                          55%

Netherlands         54%

Sri Lanka              53%

UK                          53%

Austria                   52%

Laos                       50%

Sierra Leone         50%

These are rankings based on three factors: ‘in the previous month, those surveyed [said they] gave money to charity, gave time to those in need or helped a stranger’. (Source: Pocket World in Figures, 2012 Edition, The Economist, p91, itself taken from here I think)

Why is comparing giving in the US and UK totally spurious?–>