Brazil or Russia?
- Who tends to work shorter hours?
- Who takes longer lunch hours?
- Who watches more TV?
- Who is more likely to sleep 8 hours or more each night?
Brazil was the correct answer to every question.
My source of data was a Jana emerging markets survey. Gathering information during 2011 and 2012 from 11,687 respondents, their goal was to demonstrate how different cultures define “The Good Life.”
For me, though, the information illustrated just how much developing economies differ. Far from “one-size-fits-all,” the world economy has cultures that work harder and those that lunch more. In some places, 4 hours are an average night of sleep while elsewhere 8 are more typical. Also, where you vacation and how often you watch TV vary. It all depends on what you call home.
I wonder how much the information in Jana’s infographics (below) correspond to these World Bank growth projections for the developing world. Compared to the higher income nations, you can see that emerging markets could be fueling the world economy during the next several years. But might our specific data provide clues about which nations will lead?
Sources and Resources: I suggest looking at more of the Jana infographics here and here. For a more academic perspective, the World Bank report has the details and was the source of my growth table.
