Heather Schofield Study Shows Muslims Less Productive During Ramadan

Source: The Economist,  July 2, 2016 An Economist article discussing Ramadan’s negative economic effect on Muslim countries mentions Heather Schofield’s research suggesting that Muslims are less productive during Ramadan. The study found  that fasting by Indian agriculture workers led to a 20-40% drop in productivity when the holy month fell in the planting or harvesting season. Office workers are said to put off meetings and decisions until after Ramadan, during which trading activity tends to decline on stockmarkets in the Middle East.