What’s on the mind of a nation? Thanks to the Internet, we can tell you. A recent study was conducted to see what people across the globe were interested in — and in particular, what they were interested in purchasing. Using Google’s autocomplete feature, which fills in searches according to the most commonly searched words and phrases, researchers discovered what people wanted to buy most around the world.
Many countries had simple and necessary material desires like food, housing, and fuel. A few of them returned surprising results…and a few were just plain weird.
1. Livestock
Many countries in Africa and Asia are concerned with the cost of livestock — namely cows. Goats are more commonly searched in Kenya, and in North Africa and the Middle East, camels are a hot commodity.
2. Prostitutes
Brazil, Ukraine, Austria, and Thailand lead the world in sex work searches, so you know where the party countries are.
3. Slaves
4. Flying a Mig
This weird result appears in just one country: Russia. Apparently flying military planes is something Russian people think about a lot.
5. Real Estate
The only thing people search for in regards to Antarctica is land, because there’s a lot of it…not that it’s really a good place to build your summer house.
6. Kidneys
People in Iran look up the cost of a kidney more than anyone else. Medical searches are relatively low worldwide, but top searches also include in vitro fertilization (Australia) and vasectomies (New Zealand).
7. Diamonds
Much of Africa is concerned with necessities like food and shelter, but Sierra Leone is interested in the price of diamonds.
8. Mooring yachts
True to type, Monaco also has high-end Google habits. Most people in this extremely wealthy resort country are looking for the price of docking their boats. Other luxury searches include Rolexes in Switzerland, Lamborghinis in Kuwait, and Ferraris in Italy.
9. Nose jobs
Albania and South Korea are both obsessed with rhinoplasty, and the latter is known for its habit of extreme plastic surgery among young women. Mexico also has a cosmetic surgery fixation, but they usually go for tummy tucks.
10. Funerals
Ireland, Haiti, and Guyana are all obsessed with the cost of celebrating the dearly departed.
11. Weddings
On a more cheerful note, weddings make up more searches than funerals worldwide. Residents of Pakistan, Greece, Nigeria, Zambia, and Fiji are all looking to tie the knot.
12. Panama hats
No, it’s not Panama searching this, but Ecuador, where they’re apparently all the rage.
In case you were wondering, the most-searched item in the U.S. is patent, which seems surprising. Other common searches include food and general living staples, beer, gasoline, and real estate.
