Patience decreases with age for the poor but not for the rich: an international comparison

We introduce the Preference for Earlier versus Later Income (PELI) scale, measuring patience over 50,000 individuals from 65 countries. focus on relationship between age and income patience, two variables that have been widely studied in isolation. find that, within countries, richest quintile are equally patient at any while poorest less older they are. The relationships other quintiles distributed an orderly manner these extremes. derive a national index correlates with characteristics linked to economic development, cultural differences associated alternative more complex measures of patience. recommend adopting PELI international surveys.