Britons are the most generous people in Europe, a new study has found.

Research published by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) shows three out of four people in the UK had donated money to charity – one of the highest rates in the world.

Britain ranked sixth internationally, one place up from last year but behind Burma, the United States, New Zealand, Canada and Australia.

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The survey, based on Gallup data that polled people in 145 countries in 2014, examined three measures of giving by people aged 15 and older, including the percentage who had given to charity, the number who had volunteered and those who had helped a stranger in the past month.

Despite the stereotype of British reserve, research found more than 60 per cent of Britons claimed to have helped a stranger in the month before the poll. It also noted more people than ever before were volunteering, with around 32 per cent claiming to have done so.

“The UK has a long and proud tradition of being one of the world’s most generous countries, and it is great to see that this spirit of generosity continues to grow,” John Low, Chief Executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said in a statement.

“Across the world, people are becoming increasingly generous. As economies across the globe rapidly transform, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the way in helping other countries embed a similar culture of giving.”

Globally, charitable giving was up to 31 per cent form 28 per cent in 2013 and the charity reported that in a reverse of last year’s trend more and more younger people (aged 15 to 30) were volunteering their time and money.

For the first time in the report’s six year history men were more likely than women to donate.