According to a study by the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy and the British Council Pakistan, UK-based Pakistanis donate £1.25 billion a year. Of this, some £0.7 billion goes to Pakistan while £0.6 billion is donated within the UK.
Titled “Pakistani Diaspora Philanthropy in the UK: Trends and Variations”, the report analyzed the factors that drive generous giving in the Pakistani diaspora in the UK. Religious reasons were found to be a major driver for Pakistani philanthropy in the UK.
One of the findings of the study is that 57.62% of respondents prefer donating for education and health in Pakistan itself and 42.37% prefer donating to causes in the UK – the latter mostly revolving around helping disabled people, development of the community and the empowerment of women.
The report also sheds light on what kinds of appeals are more successful in the Pakistani diaspora when it comes to charitable donations. Moreover, the report also looks at donating patterns across various income brackets. The highest income group represents a mere 3 percent of British Pakistanis who donate. In fact, 27 percent of donors claimed to have no sources of income.