According to this map, Australians spend a little over six hours per week reading, which makes us decidedly average when compared with the rest of the world. We do better than the Koreans, but we’re way behind south-east Asia.
The data comes by way of the NOP World Culture Score Index, and the map comes from @Amazing_Maps. It puts India at number one, reading 10 hours and 42 minutes each week, while Australia is eating its dust all the way down at number 15 with just six hours and 18 minutes each week. Here’s the full list:
1) India — 10 hours, 42 minutes
2) Thailand — 9:24
3) China — 8:00
4) Philippines — 7:36
5) Egypt — 7:30
6) Czech Republic — 7:24
7) Russia — 7:06
8) Sweden — 6:54
8) France — 6:54
10) Hungary — 6:48
10) Saudi Arabia — 6:48
12) Hong Kong — 6:42
13) Poland — 6:30
14) Venezuela — 6:24
15) South Africa — 6:18
15) Australia — 6:18
17) Indonesia — 6:00
18) Argentina — 5:54
18) Turkey — 5:54
20) Spain — 5:48
20) Canada — 5:48
22) Germany — 5:42
22) USA — 5:42
24) Italy — 5:36
25) Mexico — 5:30
26) U.K. — 5:18
27) Brazil — 5:12
28) Taiwan — 5:00
29) Japan — 4:06
30) Korea — 3:06
Compared to the rest of the world, Australians also spend less time watching TV and playing around on the computer. So if we’re not reading, not watching TV and not online, what the hell are we doing with our time? [World Culture Score Index, @Amazing_Maps via MentalFloss]