Press Office

Auckland, 15 December 2008 – As the festive season approaches, Christmas cheer awaits charitable organisations according to a recent MasterCard Survey which found 77% of Kiwi consumers are planning to make charitable donations in the next 12 months.

These were the findings from a consumer survey conducted between 1-29 September 2008. A total of 6,019 consumers were surveyed across 14 markets¹ . Data was collected via personal, telephone and computer aided telephone interviews, with the questionnaire translated to the local language wherever appropriate and necessary.

Stuart McKinlay, Country Manager, New Zealand, MasterCard Worldwide, says the survey is great news for hard working charities, who often find their funding is reduced during tough economic times.

“This is a true testament to the generous Kiwi spirit. It’s admirable that, despite a trying financial climate, we are still committed to supporting those in need.”

The survey revealed 41.2% of New Zealand consumers plan to donate up to 1% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 7.8% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.

“Interestingly, single men in New Zealand are more generous than single women, setting them apart from their counterparts in the rest of the Asia/Pacific region. Eight out of ten single males are intending to make a donation in the next 12 months compared with seven out of ten single females,” added McKinlay.

In general male consumers in most age groups are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 75.9% of males under 30 years old, 87% of men aged 46-55 years old and 89.2% of men above 56 years of age are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 62.9% of women aged under 30 years, 75.0% of women aged 46-55 years old and 61.5% of women above 56 years of age.

The only age group where New Zealand women are more charitable than men is 31-45 age bracket, with 80.0% of women planning to donate compared to 76.6% of men.

Contrastingly, across other Asia Pacific regions, females (54.3%) are slightly more charitable than their male counterparts (51.4%).

The survey also revealed that consumers across the Asia Pacific region who are divorced/widowed are more generous (with 65.9% planning to donate) than those who are single (50.8%) or married (53.3%). More than 50% of consumers across all age groups have plans to make donations in the coming 12 months, with those aged between 46-55 years being the most generous (57.5%), and those 30 years and below (50.4%) the least.

Australia

• The majority of Australian consumers (45.5%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 4.5% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Male consumers in most age groups are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 72.4% of males under 30 years old, 84.4% of men aged 46-55 years old and 66.7% of men above 56 years of age are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 65.5% of women under 30 years of age, 73.0% of women aged 46-55 years old and 46.7% of women above 56 years old.
• Females aged 31-45 years old are however more generous, with 60.7% of women planning to donate compared to 48.6% of men in that age bracket.
• Interestingly, unlike most of the markets in the region, single men in Australia are slightly more generous than single women, with 71.6% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 71.4% of single women.

China

• The majority of Chinese consumers (47.7%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 8.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 43.0% of females aged 30 years and below and 54.3% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations over the coming 12 months, compared to 39.2% of males aged 30 years and below and 48.3% of males aged 31-45 years old.
• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 60.2% of men vs. 58.5% of women aged 46-55 and 75.0% of men vs. 68.4% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female consumers are more generous compared to single males, with 49.3% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 40.6% of single males.

Hong Kong

• The majority of consumers in Hong Kong (59.1%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 2.9% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Male consumers aged 31 years and above are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 46.2% of males aged 31-45 years old, 24% of men aged 46-55 years old and 30% of men above 56 years old are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 30.4% of women aged 31-45 years old, 23.5% of women aged 46-55 years old and 12.5% of women above 56 years old.
• Younger females are however more generous, with 65.7% of women aged under 30 years old planning to donate compared to 59.0% of men in that age bracket.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female consumers are more generous compared to single males, with 59.1% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 55.0% of single males.

Indonesia

• The majority of consumers in Indonesia (86.4%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 10.2% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Male consumers under 30 years of age and those from 46-55 years old are more generous compared to their female counterparts. 92.2% of males aged under 30, and 88.1% of men between the ages of 46-55 years old are looking to make a charitable donation in the coming 12 months, compared to 84.7% of women aged under 30 and 87.0% of women aged 46-55 years old.
• Females between the ages of 31-45 years old and those above 56 years of age are more generous – 90.6% of females aged 31-45 years old and 90.9% of females aged above 56 years old vs. 87.0% of men aged 31-45 years old and 86.4% of men aged above 56 years old respectively are planning to donate in the coming 12 months.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, single female are more generous compared to single males, with 88.3% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 86.7% of single males.

India

• The majority of consumers in India (47.3%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 11.1% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months - 40.6% of females vs. 26.1% of males aged 30 years and below; 34.5% of females vs. 34.4% of males aged 31-45 years old; 41.7% of females vs. 38.2% of males aged 46-55 years old.
• Only in the age bracket above 56 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 32.4% of males and 30.8% of females looking to donate.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 42.9% of single females looking to make a charitable donation compared to 27.3% of single males.

Korea

• The majority of Korean consumers (35.7%) plan to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes.
• While younger females aged under 30 years old are more generous than their male counterparts in the same age range, the older men (56 years and above) are more willing to open their wallets for a good cause. 48.1% of female consumers aged 30 and below plan to donate to charitable causes in the next 12 months, compared with 31.8% of males in the same age bracket. On the other hand, 68.2% of male consumers vs. 50.0% of female consumers aged 56 years and above plan to donate in the coming 12 months.
• In the other age groups, 46.0% of females vs. 46.8% of males aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations, while 53.3% of female consumers vs. 45.5% of male consumers aged 46-55 years old are looking to give to charity.
• Similar to giving patterns in other markets, single female Koreans (40.4%) are more generous, compared to their male counterparts (38.7%).

Malaysia

• The majority of consumers in Malaysia (48.1%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 4.9% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• At both ends of the age spectrum, females are more generous than the men. 56.4% of females vs. 39.5% of males aged 30 years and under plan to make a charitable donation in the next 12 months. For those 56 years and above, 50% of females vs. 28.6% of males are looking to donate.
• However, it looks like Malaysian men in their mid-life are more generous. A higher percentage of men than women aged 31-45 and 46-55 are looking to spread some cheer among the less fortunate. 47.8% of men aged 31-45 years and 58.1% of men aged 46-55 years plan to open their wallets to give in the next 12 months, compared to 39.4% of women aged 31-45 years and 41.4% of women aged 46-55 years old.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 55.4% of females vs. 45.4% of males looking to make a donation.

Japan

• The majority of Japanese consumers (57.8%) plan to donate less than 1% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while only 3.4% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 23.7% of females aged 30 years and below and 28.0% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations in the coming 12 months, compared to 14.5% of males aged 30 years and below and 23.3% of males aged 31-45 years old.
• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 42.6% of men vs. 38.5% of women aged 46-55 years old and 37.0% of men vs. 36.4% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 27.1% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 16.8% of single males.

Philippines

• The majority of consumers in the Philippines (46.5%) plan to donate between 2%-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 35.4% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 73.4% of females vs. 68.1% of males aged 30 years and below; 78.3% of females vs. 51.8% of males aged 46-55 years old; 80.0% of females vs. 51.7% of males aged above 56 years old.
• Only in the age bracket 31-45 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 64.3% of males and 62.9% of females looking to donate.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, single females are more generous compared to single males, with 76.1% of single females looking to make a charitable donation compared to 65.9% of single males.

Singapore

• The majority of Singaporean consumers (39.4%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 19.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 44.1% of females vs. 42.0% of males aged 30 years and below; 54.4% of females vs. 43.5% of males aged 31-45 years old; 51.3% of females vs. 40.4% of males aged 46-55 years old.
• Only in the age bracket above 56 years old are the men slightly more generous than the women, with 61.1% of males and 42.9% of females looking to donate.
• Interestingly, unlike most of the other markets in the region, single men in Singapore are slightly more generous than single women, with 46.5% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 43.6% of single women.

Taiwan

• The majority of Taiwanese consumers (48.6%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 5.8% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 47.3% of females vs. 40.3% of males aged 31-45 years old; 50.0% of females vs. 44.4% of males from 46-55 years old and 57.9% of females vs. 51.3% of males above 56 years old.
• Only among those aged under 30 years old are men slightly more generous than women, with 37.0% of males and 27.8% of females looking to donate.
• Interestingly, unlike most of the other markets in the region, single men in Taiwan are more generous than single women, with 40.0% of single men looking to make a donation in the coming 12 months compared to 34.6% of single women.

Thailand

• The majority of Thai consumers (62.2%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 13.7% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Among the younger set of consumers (those aged 30 years and below and consumers between 31-45 years old), females are more generous than their male counterparts. 64.1% of females aged 30 years and below and 60.0% of females aged 31-45 years old are looking to make donations in the coming 12 months, compared to 54.5% of males aged 30 years and below and 58.8% of males aged 31-45 years old.
• When it comes to the older consumers, the men are however more generous, with 73.9% of men vs. 64.7% of women aged 46-55 and 72.2% of men vs. 68.2% of women aged 56 years and above looking to donate in the coming 12 months.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 62.7% of single females are looking to make a charitable donation compared to 55.6% of single males.

Vietnam

• The majority of Vietnamese consumers (51%) plan to donate between 1-5% of their annual income next year to charitable causes, while 5% of consumers have plans to donate more than 5% of their annual income next year.
• Across most age groups, more females than males are looking to open their hearts and wallets to give in the next 12 months – 52.4% of females vs. 45.5% of males aged 30 years and below; 52.9% of females vs. 48.2% of males aged 31-45 years old; 62.5% of females vs. 50.0% of males above 56 years old.
• Only among those aged 46-55 years old are men slightly more generous than women, with 53.7% of males and 47.4% of females looking to donate.
• Similar to findings in the other markets, female singles are more generous compared to single males, with 51.0% of females vs. 42.3% males looking to make a donation.

More information on the Index can be found at the website www.masterintelligence.com

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 18 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard^®, Maestro^® and Cirrus^®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to http://www.mastercard.com.