World of Commuters

CATHERINE RAMPELL

Dollars to doughnuts.

Americans have some of the shortest commuting times in the developed world, according to a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Dollars to doughnuts.

According to organization’s time use data, the average commuting time in the United States is about 28 minutes (similar to a separate measure from the United States Census Bureau). That is 10 minutes shorter than the average commuting time for all member countries, of 38 minutes, and longer than the time spent traveling to work in only three rich countries (Israel, Denmark and Sweden).

The O.E.C.D. member country with the longest average commuting time is South Africa, where the typical time spent traveling to work is 56 minutes.

To the extent that public policy is intended to enhance not only economic growth but also total happiness, these figures are important. A study from Alan Krueger, Daniel Kahneman and others found that commuting to work was the daily activity that gave the least enjoyment.