Interactive Server

Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden have the lowest prices for mobile phone calls among OECD countries. The highest were found in Canada, Spain and the United States.   Comparing prices on a medium-use basis for a package of 780 voice calls, 600 short texts (SMS), and eight multimedia (MMS) messages, a survey published in the OECD ...

Sudan and Afghanistan are among countries whose traditional social institutions result in the highest levels of discrimination against women, while Croatia and Paraguay are among those with the lowest levels of discrimination, according to the Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) of 102 non-OECD countries. Unlike existing measures of ...

How far  could  housing investment fall in the current crisis? The chart below shows how much further spending could still weaken before reaching previous lows.    Source: OECD Economic Outlook database   Housing investment covers public and private spending on construction and renovation. In many OECD countries ...

A number of OECD countries such as France, Spain and the UK have established lists of occupations for which immigrant entry is allowed. The aim is to open the door to labour migration while ensuring a certain protection to domestic workers. But there is a widespread reluctance to acknowledge that a long-term demand exists for ...

Income inequality grew in most OECD countries between the mid 1980s and the mid 2000s. On average the income of the richest 10 percent of the population is now almost nine times higher than the poorest 10 percent. In Denmark and Sweden  the gap is narrower with the richest 10% earning on average less than five  times the poorest. Only a ...

Until the latest statements suggesting unlimited guarantees, legal coverage was highest in Norway, France, Italy and Mexico. In the US the amount covered has been raised temporarily to 250,000 from 100,000 US dollars per account. The following graphs show coverage in early 2008 and the position as of 8 October 2008, based on government statements: ...

Demand for education is constantly rising. Upper secondary education is becoming the norm in most OECD countries. And most students who graduate from high school now aim to go to university. Back in 1995, only 37% of high-school graduates went into university-level programmes. Now, it's 57%, a significant jump. This “hunger for knowledge” is ...