UNFULFILLED potential and uncertain futures were the threads running through The Economist’s ten most read stories of 2014. Top of the tree map—which represents the relative popularity of these articles, measured in page views—was our assessment of the problems besetting the Arab world, from the rise of the Islamic State to the failures of the Arab Spring. Russia’s latest reboot, from being a prickly partner of the West to an unpredictable adversary, and Argentina’s century-long decline provided two very different narratives of political and economic regression. Voters in India, another country that has long fallen short of its potential, hoped for better by electing Narendra Modi as their leader.
Insecurities in the rich world also attracted lots of attention. Our second most popular story looked at the disruption that technology is bringing to the world of work (not least to prostitution, the subject of another of our top ten). And when readers weren’t contemplating the money wasted on expensive college educations or spent on militarising America’s police, they were reflecting on where democracy had gone wrong. Amid the angst, there was some good news: our review of a book advocating the inclusion of steak and cream as part of a healthy diet offered cover for much-needed comfort eating.
- 1."The tragedy of the Arabs"The Middle EastJul 5th
- 2."Coming to an office near you"Technology and jobsJan 18th
- 3."Is college worth it?"Higher educationApr 5th
-
4."Can anyone stop
Narendra Modi?"India’s electionApr 5th - 5."Cops or soldiers?"Paramilitary policeMar 22nd
- 6."The case for eating steak and cream"Healthy eatingMay 31st
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7."A web of lies"Russia, MH17 and
the WestJul 26th -
8."More bang for
your buck" Prostitution &
the internet Aug 9th -
9."The parable
of Argentina"GovernmentFeb 15th -
10."What’s gone wrong
with democracy"EssayMar 1st
Note: This graphic concentrates purely on print-edition stories and blog posts. Other online content that would have made the year's list includes the Big Mac Index, infographics from our Graphic detail blog, and Which MBA?.