Liberia has been ranked the second most likely country in the world where people help strangers, according to the World Happiness Gallup Report 2025. The ranking places Liberia just behind Jamaica, which tops the global list, with Sierra Leone securing third place. The report shows that citizens in these nations exhibit high levels of generosity when it comes to offering direct support to people they do not know.
Jamaica leads the world with 83 percent of its population having helped a stranger in the past month, a figure highlighted in a Japan Today report. Liberia and Sierra Leone follow closely with similarly strong indicators of kindness toward outsiders. However, despite their impressive standing in interpersonal generosity, the same countries rank significantly lower in formal charity contributions. The report notes that Jamaica, Liberia, and Sierra Leone sit more than 80 places lower in global rankings when it comes to financial donations to charitable organizations.
The pattern extends beyond these three nations. Nigeria and Kenya both of which appear in the top 10 for helping strangers also fall near the bottom for charitable giving to institutions. The report attributes this contrast to issues of institutional trust. In places where government systems, including the police, are perceived as unreliable or lacking in accountability, residents often choose to support individuals directly rather than donate to formal organizations whose impact may feel uncertain.
Analysts suggest that these findings reflect a deeper cultural reliance on community ties. With formal systems sometimes viewed as underperforming or distant, generosity becomes a direct social safety net. Strangers helping strangers is not only a gesture of goodwill, but also a practical response to everyday needs and vulnerabilities. In Jamaica and similarly ranked countries, kindness is woven into daily life.
Human connection remains a powerful force one that bridges gaps left by weak institutions. According to the 2025 World Happiness Gallup Report, the top-performing countries for helping strangers include:
The findings reinforce the idea that Liberia, despite economic challenges, remains a nation rich in compassion and community spirit where people continue to look out for one another, even in the absence of strong formal support systems.
Author: Zac T. Sherman
