By Max Clarke
Belgians work the fewest hours in the world, clocking in just 7 hours of paid and domestic work a day, while Mexicans put in the most hours; according to the OECD’s (organisation for economic cooperation and development) Society at a Glance report, published today. The British work an average of around 8 1/2 hours, of which just over half is paid- the 9th least in the OECD.
Housework comprises the majority of unpaid work, on which the Mexicans spend 3 hours a day. The French lead the world in shopping, also counted as unpaid work, while Koreans spend the least.
In the UK, women carry out 2 hours of unpaid work each day than men; while overall 57% of Britons conduct ‘pro-social behaviour’, in the form of helping strangers of giving money to charity, the 5th highest of the 34 strong OECD.
Interestingly, unpaid work comprises a third of the GDP of member states and is an important contributor to economic wellbeing.
Americans spend the least time cooking out of OECD countries, and despite spending the third lowest time eating, have the highest obesity rates in the OECD.
