Muslims Give More to Charity Than Others, UK Poll Says

LONDON -- Muslims give more money to charity than people of other religions, according to a new British poll. 

More than three in 10 Muslims, Catholics and Jews donated money during 2012, ICM Research found.

Followers of Islam gave an average of $567 compared to Jewish givers who donated around $412, according to the survey of just over 4,000 people in the U.K.

Christians gave considerably less. Protestants donated an average of $308, while Roman Catholics gave around $272, the poll found. Atheists averaged just $177.

In total 4,036 people answered the question: "How much, if at all, would you say you generally donated to charities last year?"

Respondents were asked to exclude buying items from charity stores or sponsoring someone for a charity activity.      

The finding follows a recent Pew Research Center survey of more than 38,000 Muslims in 39 countries, which found that 77 percent said they donated to charity.

Data from the online platform JustGiving.com also shows that Muslims are increasingly using online methods for their Zakat -- the Muslim practice of charitable donations -- with a growth of close to 70 percent over the last two years.

“Our data shows many of Britain’s Muslim communities are at the forefront of digital giving, driving an increase in Zakat donations," Zarine Kharas, their CEO explained.