A Competitive World

Thomas Buser, Alexander Cappelen, Uri Gneezy and Bertil Tungodden ()
Additional contact information
Alexander Cappelen: NHH Norwegian School of Economics
Uri Gneezy: University of California, San Diego
Bertil Tungodden: Norwegian School of Economics

No 2026-011, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: We provide globally representative evidence on two attitudes toward competition: individuals’ willingness to compete and the importance they attach to boys and girls being willing to compete, using a novel survey module that we fielded as part of the 2022 Gallup World Poll. The data cover more than 66,000 individuals across 62 countries. Men are more willing to compete than women in all but two countries, and willingness to compete is higher among younger, more educated, and higher-income individuals. Attitudes toward children’s willingness to compete vary substantially across countries, with competitiveness valued more for boys in some countries and for girls in others. Both attitudes are systematically related to the economic and social environment. Individuals exposed to greater inequality or faster population growth during their formative years are more willing to compete and place greater importance on children being willing to compete. Greater exposure to gender equality during formative years is associated with smaller gender gaps in both adults’ willingness to compete and attitudes toward the competitiveness of boys and girls. Our findings reveal striking global regularities while highlighting the role of the social environment in shaping attitudes toward competition.

Keywords: willingness to compete; gender; global; representative sample; socialization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 J16 J24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-09
Note: MIP
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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Buser_ ... ompetitive_world.pdf First version, August 28, 2026 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: A competitive world (2026)
Working Paper: A competitive world (2026)
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