Central Asia & South Caucasus

Region Overview

The Global Philanthropy Environment Index “Central Asia & South Caucasus” region includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia.

There have been no major changes observed in the philanthropic environment in Central Asia and South Caucasus since 2018. However, two major events in the region—the presidential elections in Belarus and the Nagorno-Karabakh war, an armed conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan—affected the political environment in the given countries, thus affecting the philanthropy. Civil unrest that sparked in Belarus negatively affected the civil society organizations (CSOs) and many activists were imprisoned. Armenia and Azerbaijan saw a rise in philanthropy, as many donations were driven toward the victims of the war. Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia were relatively stable during the reporting period. Conditions of receipt of foreign aid worsened in some countries. The COVID-19 pandemic deteriorated the economic situation in all the countries of the region. At the same time, there was observed the rise of philanthropic activities due to the pandemic. The support was mostly provided to the healthcare system and vulnerable groups of people, not only by CSOs actively engaged in charity but also by individuals.