An Interdisciplinary Telecollaborative Project

Final results are now posted!

What can the Big Mac tell us about the world economy?

Economists are always comparing prices of a product in different places in order to compare the value of money in those locations. In order to do this type of analysis on a global scale, we would need products that are sold everywhere in the same form.

Can you think of a more global product than the McDonald's Big Mac?

The creators of this project are certainly not the first to conceive of the Big Mac as a valuable economic indicator. For one example, The Economist magazine has done similar studies to the one we're proposing here, and has an interesting article about the use of the Big Mac as a measuring tool for purchasing-power parity.

When was Project: Big Mac completed?

Project: Big Mac was conducted during May of 2006. We received interest from all over the world, and received price submissions from 23 states (plus Washington, D.C.), 7 different countries, and 4 different continents. Classes registered from several other countries as well.

Who is this study made for?

Because of the wide range of potential applications of this project, we believe that social studies and mathematics classes (and perhaps business classes) at anywhere from middle school to the college level could find value in participating and using the results.

I missed it! What can I do?

Anyone can make use of the results from the project, which are posted in the 'Results' page. Also, check out the map, to see where our submissions came from! There is a chance that Project: Big Mac could be run again. If you are interested in participating, please use the feedback form on the 'Contact Us' page. We'd also love to hear any feedback or suggestions about the project, including how you've used it in your classroom!