Why economists love burgers

各国真实经济规模

Money Talks from The Economist

2026-07-30

32 分钟
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单集简介 ...

Travelling for work is rarely glamorous. And nowhere is that more true than at The Economist. Our correspondents have spent the last four decades travelling the world, expensing Big Macs in service of one aim: to understand how currencies work. To celebrate the Big Mac index's 40th birthday, we share what we've learnt. Guests and hosts: Eswar Prasad, economics professor at Cornell UniversitySimon Cox, The Economist's China economics editor Josh Roberts, The Economist's capital markets correspondentEthan Wu, co-host of “Money Talks” Topics covered: Big Mac IndexCurrencies Purchasing Power Parity Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts.
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单集文稿 ...

  • The Economist.

  • The first Big Mac was sold in 1967.

  • McDonald's Big Mac, it's more than just another hamburger.

  • Now, it's available in more than 100 countries around the world.

  • But wherever you go, it still tastes pretty much the same.

  • Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions

  • on a sesame seed bun.

  • That makes the Big Mac a dream for weary travelers

  • looking for a familiar meal.

  • And it also makes it very helpful for something else.

  • The Economist magazine has come up with a simple way to measure purchasing power

  • across countries.

  • It's Big Mac Index.

  • For 40 years, our correspondents have been munching their way around the world

  • as a way to understand currencies, exchange rates, and purchasing power.

  • From Switzerland, how much is it?

  • 740.

  • 740.

  • Okay.

  • To Hong Kong.