South Asians are the World’s biggest Shopaholics

A recent global survey by ACNeilsen demonstrated that Asia is home to the largest percentage of shopaholics in the world.

An analyst reflecting on the survey done by ACNeilsen commented that shopping had become a national pastime in South Asia, and even more so in cities. Little thought here is given to the fact that about 70 percent to 75 percent of the population in South Asia still live in rural areas.

Perhaps the most obvious shortcoming with the survey is that it was done with the help of 23,500 samples from Internet users. Such a sample automatically excludes those who are too poor to consider the Internet an affordable luxury, and those who may only have access to the Internet for brief periods -- time enough to manage more immediate concerns than filling out surveys.

This report is perhaps both disturbing and thought provoking in view of a recent World Bank report on poverty in South Asia.

According to the World Bank report, South Asia has been rapidly urbanizing. Strong economic growth is held accountable for the growing interest in shopping. The booming economy has resulted in higher incomes for a young adult population. And with extra income in hand, there is more shopping to do.

The fact that India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have experienced an annual 5 percent growth rate in the past five years, does not directly translate into economic improvement for all. Nor does rapid urbanization directly translate into a better standard of living for those in urban centers. Income inequality, according to the World Bank, has increased alongside economic growth in the region.

The young people who indulge in shopping at modern mall settings and buy brand name shoes and shampoos are that part of the South Asian population that has a desire to keep up with the latest fashion trends. One in five Indians says that shopping for clothes is their favorite activity. While a select fraction of the population keeps up with the latest brand names, there is a huge percentage of the population that finds it difficult just to clothe their children. While air-conditioned malls provide movie snacks, restaurants, and food courts for their "shopaholic" consumers, there are those outside of the malls who struggle to afford two meals a day. Diseases that are generally preventable are taking the lives of over 3.2 million children annually. "Retail therapy" is fast becoming a hobby for a select group of people. Sadly enough though, there are also those in South Asia who live in one room houses with no electricity and no running water.

There may be a ray of hope. The World Bank survey has claimed that if current economic growth rates can be maintained, South Asia could reduce its poverty level by two-thirds within 10 years. However, the preconditions for such growth that the World Bank survey mentions are all lacking in South Asia. As long as income inequality exists, and continues to widen, poverty cannot be alleviated. Greater attention needs to be given to transportation development, improvement of infrastructure, and availability of electricity.

Even more problematic is the fact that the region is also not doing enough to alleviate illiteracy. Over 300 million illiterate adolescents and adults reside in South Asia -- 44 percent of the world’s total number. Fifty million children are unable to attend schools. And 45 percent of illiterate women all hail from South Asia. To this gloomy picture is the added worry of rapidly increasing population levels. Without proper and equitable economic growth, increases in population will only mean increases in unemployment, mass frustration, hunger, and environmental concerns.

Further, rapid urbanization will only lead to further human deprivation if the governments do not turn their attention toward poverty alleviation. The external debt for South Asia exceeds $150 billion. Even now, the greater part of the GDP is allocated to defense, especially in India and Pakistan, who have yet to resolve their mutual issues. If a solution were to be reached, an enmity that is being exaggerated to the point of self-destruction now, could actually lead to a more rapid economic development, and an opportunity to concentrate on the problems that arise with poverty.