I can hear it already: some of you are saying, "Is that all?", while some are going, "Oh my God."
Interestingly (Anglophiles take note) the US and UK are below average (5.7 and 5.3 hours per week) in reading, but above the average on TV viewing (19 hours per week in the US and 18 in the UK), listening to the radio (10.2 hours per week in the US and 10.5 in the UK), and just slightly below the global average for computer/Internet usage (8.8 hours per week in both the US and UK).
Thailand spend the most time in front of the television at 22.4 hours per week, followed closely by the Philippines at 21.0, Egypt at 20.9 and Turkey at 20.2 hours. Mexicans watch the least amount of television at 11.6 hours per week, followed by Venezuelans at 11.9 and Swedes at 12.3.
Argentineans love the radio (20.8 hours), followed by Brazilians (17.2 hours) and South Africans (15.0 hours). The Chinese spend the least amount of time on the radio at (2.1 hours) a week ahead of Koreans and Saudis (3 and 3.9 hours).
When it comes to the internet, the Taiwanese are tops (12.6 hours a week for non-work related purposes), followed by Thais (11.7 hours) and Spainiards (11.5) hours. Mexicans (6.3 hours), Italians (6.3 hours) and Germans (6.4 hours) are not so hot online.
And most interesting of all to us: who are the greatest bookworms in the world? Indians spend an average of 10.7 hours per week reading, followed by Thais and Chinese (at 9.4 hours and 8 hours). Koreans, Japanese and Taiwanese (at 3.1, 4.1 and 5 hours) scrap the bottom of the barrel. (US and the UK are at 24th and 27th place in the list of 31.) Fortunately, Malaysia was not in the list of countries studied. Another table-propping position would have been too much for our fragile ego to take!
Top 5 reading countries:1. India 10.7
2. Thailand 9.4
3. China 8.0
4. Philippines 7.6
5. Egypt 7.5
Bottom 5 reading countries:
27. U.K. 5.3
28. Brazil 5.2
29. Taiwan 5.0
30. Japan 4.1
31. Korea 3.1
