Donors less generous in 2007
The Swiss made fewer donations last year than in 2006, according to the gfs-zürich polling institute.
Overall, they donated SFr700 million ($671.7 million) to what they considered worthy causes, around SFr80 million less than a year before.
German speakers are more likely to hand over some of their cash: 80 per cent of those polled by the institute said they donated SFr394 on average (SFr514 in 2006). Only 70 per cent of French speakers made donations, giving on average SFr222 last year, a small drop over 2006.
The fall in donations is blamed on the fact that fewer very large sums of money were exchanged according to gfs-zürich.
The environment and animals benefited the most from donations, probably because of a greater awareness about climate change said the polling institute.
Sums for the fight against poverty and hunger fell off, as well as funding in favour of children, which dropped for the first time in six years.
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