Charity donations from individuals in 2008 for the first time exceeded those from businesses, as ordinary people played an active role in relief work for the May 12 Sichuan earthquake, said a report issued Wednesday by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Donations from individuals for the year reached 45.8 billion yuan (6.7 billion US dollars), accounting for 54 percent of total public donations, while in the past they had never exceeded 20 percent, said the report, the Blue Book of China's Charity Development 2009.

"The breakthrough resulted from a large number of individuals donating to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake," it said.

A survey conducted by Ministry of Civil Affairs in cities including Shanghai, Xi'an and Chongqing showed more than 90 percent of individual respondents said they had donated money or materials to quake-hit regions.

In 2008, total charity donations on the Chinese mainland reached 107 billion yuan (15.7 billion US dollars), 3.5 times that of 2007, while the average per capita donation was nearly 35 yuan (about 5 U.S. dollars), 14 times the 2007 figure.

The report said the media and the Internet were now becoming significant forces in propelling public welfare donations while the government was still the leading driver.

The substance of donations has also been changing from cash and materials to a variety of forms including services and legal aid.

Source: Xinhua