] Economists have long been interested in why some ] countries are rich and why some countries are poor. ] Differences in labor productivity, inflation, and saving ] and investment rates are traditional economic ] explanations for variations in wealth across countries. ] But when these explanations fall short, researchers ] sometimes turn to noneconomic factors. Two such factors ] are a countryâs legal and social institutions. ] Religious factors can also help explain variations in ] economic growth, many economists are increasingly ] finding. In particular, in countries where large ] percentages of the population believe in hell, there ] seem to be less corruption and a higher standard of ] living. Interesting read... Fear of Hell Might Fire Up the Economy - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |