Americans are among the world's most generous — but not THE most generous, study finds

Americans are among the most generous in the world, according to the most recent data from the annual World Giving Index.

The study ranks countries throughout the world based on criteria like helping strangers, donating money and volunteering.

The United States ranks second on the list with an overall score of 61 percent. Myanmar took the No. 1 spot, with an overall score of 70 percent. Rounding out the top 10 are Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Iceland and United Arab Emirates.

Myanmar has snagged the top spot for three years in a row, although in 2014 it shared the No. 1 ranking with the U.S.

The study indicates that the large percentage of Buddhists in Myanmar is why it now ranks the most generous in the world. Also noteworthy is the fact that the World Bank has classified the Asian country as "lower middle income," shattering the perception held by many that wealthier countries are also the most generous.

As for the U.S., specifically, the study found that 73 percent of Americans helped a stranger in the past year. That number was down slightly from last year, when 76 percent of Americans helped a stranger. On the flip side, the number of Americans who volunteered their time went up from 44 percent last year to 46 percent this year.

It isn't quite clear what percentage of Americans donated money this year, but the United States' five-year-average is 63 percent.

Meanwhile, only five of the G-20 countries — Australia, Canada, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States — are among the top 20 countries by a five-year average, even though members of the G-20 together represent 85 percent of the Gross World Product.

Image source: World Giving Index