Africa remained among the most supported regions for cross-border philanthropy in 2023, highlighting the growing role of private giving in development financing. Photo: AI-generated illustration
Africa and the Middle East emerged as the most supported recipient regions for cross-border philanthropy in 2023, according to the newly released Global Philanthropy Tracker 2026.
Published by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the report found that cross-border philanthropic outflows reached USD 82 billion in 2023, reflecting the growing importance of private giving as traditional aid budgets face increasing pressure.
The tracker examines charitable resources flowing across national borders and compares them with other major international financial flows, including official development assistance, remittances and private capital investment.
Its findings place Africa and the Middle East at the centre of global philanthropic giving, with both regions identified as the most widely supported among reporting countries.
Researchers say the trend reflects sustained donor interest in both humanitarian response and long-term development priorities.
Education and emergency and humanitarian assistance attracted the largest share of philanthropic funding globally, highlighting what the report describes as a dual focus on immediate crisis response and future development.
“Cross-border philanthropy is dynamic and quick to react. Crisis response surges in moments of urgency but does not fully replace other charitable causes,” the report noted.
The tracker found that philanthropic outflows increased by 16 percent between 2020 and 2023. However, inflation offset much of that growth, leaving inflation-adjusted giving slightly lower than 2020 levels.
Even so, philanthropy remained the most stable of the four major cross-border financial flows examined over the past three decades.
“Over the past three decades, philanthropic outflows remained the most stable among the four cross-border resource flows,” the report said.
Researchers noted that the 2026 edition establishes 2023 as a baseline for tracking future changes in global giving patterns, particularly as reductions in official development assistance by major donor countries begin reshaping the funding landscape.
They also stressed the need for stronger policies to support charitable giving and cross-border resource mobilisation.
“To further this catalytic role of philanthropy, especially in a time of fiscal restraint for governments, it is vital to create and strengthen a favorable environment that enables private actors to efficiently mobilize resources for the public good,” the report said.
Alongside the tracker, the school also publishes the Global Philanthropy Environment Index, which measures the legal, political, economic and social conditions shaping philanthropic activity worldwide.
With donor priorities shifting and aid budgets tightening, the report suggests philanthropy could become an increasingly important source of support for development and humanitarian efforts across Africa and beyond.
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