Which country is the best at volunteering?
Inspired by the volunteers at the recent Games in Paris? You’re not alone. Volunteers inspire us, and in the spirit of healthy competition, we analysed 24 years of Games data to help us answer the burning question: if there was a Volunteering Games, who would win?
Well, the results are in.
It’s Greece for gold!
Fittingly enough, it’s the birthplace of the Games that takes first place for volunteering. One in every 69 Greek citizens applied to volunteer when they hosted in 2004.
Silver medal goes to France, with one in every 227 people applying to volunteer this year, and bronze goes to Australia as one in every 253 people applied when they hosted in 2000.
The UK narrowly missed the medal table, with one in every 256 people applying to volunteer in 2012 – the tiniest of margins landing Brits 4th place.
Here’s the data
Before you shout “Oi Ref!” here are the stats to back it up:
(Volunteering data from IOC annual reports. Population data calculated at the time of the Games.)
Behind the UK is Japan when Tokyo hosted, one in every 629 people volunteered. 6th place is China, as one in every 662 people applied to volunteer for the Beijing Games, and 7th goes to Brazil: one in every 862 people applied to volunteer for Rio in 2016.
As Paris wraps up, all eyes are on the newest competitor. If the USA wants to snatch gold in 2028, its huge population size means that approximately 4,845,485 people would have to apply to beat Greece’s impressive record.
Volunteering around the world with KILROY
We believe that, done right, volunteering is one of the best things you can do around the world.
If you want to give back while you travel, why not check out the experiences on offer through KILROY? Europe’s dominated this Games medal table – but there are more volunteering opportunities in Europe to discover. If Brazil is more your vibe, check out the volunteering opportunities in South America. Alternatively, if Tokyo and Bejing inspired your wanderlust for Asia, you’ll find volunteering opportunities in Asia here.
If you’re more of a Summer Games person than a winter one, you’re in luck, too: our roundup of the best summer volunteering abroad programs just dropped. We guarantee you’ll find a volunteer opportunity that inspires you!
Wherever you go, our top volunteering tips will help you get the best volunteer abroad experience.