Who works harder, Kiwis or Aussies?

If science is the organised pursuit of triviality and art the casual pursuit of significance (according to Vera Nazarian), which camp does quizzing sit in? Quizzing is a world-wide phenomenon these days. I mean who doesn’t like a quiz. One of my New Zealand clients, Kelvin, is a quizzing whizz and recently took part in the 2013 World Quiz Championships. We got talking about his experience.

Picture this – you are seated in a cavernous hall in your country’s assigned quiz capital. At the same time, all around the world, queues of quiz gurus are doing the same thing… taking a seat to duel for world quiz supremacy. It’s a paper based test – two hundred and forty questions – 30 seconds per question – Kelvin called the competition ‘draining’.

I should imagine that it was nothing like the quiz night at the Opononi Hotel I chanced upon in a recent trip. And there was an awesome $10 pub feed as part of the entry fee that night. Anyway world quizz domination aside, here’s a little census quiz as a mark of respect for the quizzing whizzes of the world and also for a bit of fun. It’s just short and if you don’t know the answers straight off, you can find them on our website www.id.com.au if you want to test your skills in profile.id
(Answers are also at the bottom of the page – some may surprise!)

1. Last week Rebecca’s blog lamented biking to work in the rain. Going by the 2006 census results roughly what percentage of employed people over the age of 15 in New Zealand cycled to work and risked the same soaking?
a.1% b. 2% c.3% d.4%

2. By comparison, what percentage of the Australian population was optimistic enough to brave the weather and cycle to work in 2006?
a. 1% b. 2% c.3% d.4%

3. Statistics New Zealand started capturing information about the contribution of voluntary and unpaid work in the economy in the 2001 census. Roughly what proportion of people in New Zealand (over the age of 15) spent time doing voluntary work through an organisation in 2006?
a. 3% b.8% c.13% d.18%

4. The Australian Bureau of Statistics started gathering data on voluntary and unpaid work in 2006. Asking the same question what proportion of people in Australia (over the age of 15) did voluntary work through an organisation in 2006?
a. 3% b.8% c.13% d.18%

5. To further fuel the debate on who works harder – Aussies or a Kiwis, both the New Zealand and Australian censuses include questions on unpaid housework. In the New Zealand census, housework is counted as unpaid work (in a question with multiple answers). Roughly what proportion on the New Zealand population reported doing unpaid housework in the four weeks prior to Census date?

a.65% b.75% c.85% d. 95%

6. In the Australian census, residents get asked upfront if they do not do any unpaid domestic work. The time taken into consideration is the preceding week, not month. You can call these people what you like – I call them lucky – but, in the 2011 census, what proportion of the Australian population ticked the option “no, did not do any unpaid domestic work in the last week”?

a. 5% b. 10% c. 15% d.20%

Thanks – please scroll down to see the answers

Answers :
Q1. (b)2% is closest – actually 1.91% of working people biked to work in 2006, a disappointing decrease for Transport Planners, down from the 3.11% in 1996.
Q2. (1) 1% of Australians biked to work
Q3. (b) roughly 13%, or more precisely 13.8% of kiwis volunteered
Q4. (d) roughly 18%, or more precisely 17.9% of aussies volunteered
Q5. (b) around 75%, or more precisely 77.4%
Q6. (d) roughly 20%, or more precisely 21.5%

Find out more out the populations and demographics of New Zealand and Australia via our online demographic resource centre!