MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chileans are all work and no play; best lifestyle Australia

Chile is beautiful but not so much the lifestyle

Chileans are all work and no play, according a new study that suggests outsiders view the country as a good place for business but not for letting their hair down.

More than 73,000 people from around the world were questioned in the survey, which was conducted by the Reputation Institute, an international consulting firm specializing in corporate reputation.

The survey posed 11 questions about various countries, including whether they are favourable to business, promote responsible participation in the global community, and lead in innovation, technology, and contributions to culture.

Although the majority of those surveyed, 84% said Chile is beautiful, only 65% said the country has an agreeable lifestyle. Only Japan scored lower in this category, with 54%.

Australia overwhelmingly won the lifestyle category with 96%.

Chile also fell behind the rest of the pack as an enjoyable place to live with just over 70%. Again, Japan scored lowest at 67% and Australia highest with 93%.

“In these two categories, we fall behind other countries. This can probably be explained because we're business oriented and not that fun-loving,” said William Pullen, director of the Reputation Institute in Chile.

Chile garnered the second highest marks for offering a good business environment (67%) but was 15 points behind the winner--which, again, was Australia.

By Santiago Times Staff