Government assistance, religiosity and charitable giving: comparing Muslim and non-Muslim families in China

Abstract

This article examines whether religiosity moderates the influence of government assistance use on the charitable giving of Muslim and non-Muslim families in China. Using data from the 2016 China Family Panel Studies survey, the article finds that Muslims are as equally likely as non-Muslims to donate to charity, but that Muslim donors, on average, donate more than their counterparts. Additionally, Muslim donors and donors of other religions increase the amount of their giving when they receive more government assistance, while non-religious donors reduce their giving. Furthermore, as the level of government assistance increases, the donation amount grows at a much higher rate among Muslim donors than among donors of other religions. The theoretical contributions of the study and avenues for future research are discussed.