Percentage of global consumers who say they feel anxious when their mobile devices are not close at hand, according to a survey by Nielsen: 53

Percentage who can't imagine life without mobile devices: 56

Percentage who say their mobile device makes their life better: 70

Source: Nielsen Analytics.

Percentage of executives who say that when a hiring decision doesn't work out it is because of a mismatched skill set, according to a survey by Robert Half: 38

Percentage who say it is because of unclear performance expectations: 27

Percentage who say personality conflicts: 20

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of workers who agree a majority of the workforce will be employed in an agile capacity by the year 2025 (i.e., contractor, consultant, temporary or freelance), according to a study released by Randstad U.S.: 70

Percentage of employers who agree: 68

Source: Randstad U.S.

Current percentage of the U.S. population that is Muslim, according to Ipsos' latest Perils of Perception survey: 0.01

Percentage of Muslims as perceived by Americans: 17

Percentage of our population that will be Muslim by 2020, as perceived by Americans: 23

Percentage of our population will be Muslim by 2020, according to projections from the Pew Research Center: 1.1

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Median annual household income 1967, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: $7,143 ($44,282 in 2014 dollars)

Median annual household income in 2016: $53,657

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of workers who are very confident or somewhat confident that the Social Security system will continue to provide benefits of at least equal value to the benefits received by retirees today, according to EBRI's most recent annual Retirement Confidence Survey: 39

Percentage of workers who are not at all confident that future Social Security benefits will match or exceed the value of today's benefits: 32

Source: EBRI.

Percentage of registered dietitians who say that consumers will choose mindful eating over dieting, according to a survey by Pollock Communications and Today's Dietitian: 49

Percentage of registered dietitians who say consumers will choose to "eat clean" -- looking to consume foods that are less processed and more whole foods, such as veggies, fruits, ancient grains and green tea, as well as plant-based proteins like nuts and seeds: 59

Source: Pollock Communications; Today's Dietitian.

Amount of money spent in Cuba on health care per person per year, according to Global Wellness research: $813

Amount spent in the United States on health care per person per year: $9,403

Source: Global Wellness Institute.

Percentage of the 100 popular credit cards surveyed that will extend a manufacturer's warranty for free (usually by two years), according to CreditCards.com report: 81

Percentage of cards that reimburse for items that are lost, stolen or damaged in the first few months after they were bought: 57

Source: Creditcards.com.

Rank of Phoenix on the list of the best U.S. airports taking into consideration flight delays, cancellations, average security wait times, distance from the city center, public transit options, bars/restaurants and parking rates, according to a study conducted by ThePointsGuy.com: 1

Ranks of LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport on the list of the worst U.S. airports: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Source: ThePointsGuy.com.

Idle Thought

"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?" -- George Eliot, novelist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Ranks of enjoy life to the fullest, live a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, spend more time with family and friends, save more, spend less and pay down debt on the list of New Year's resolutions in a survey by GO Banking Rates: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Percentage of respondents who decided that making one resolution was enough: 55

Percentage of Americans who are setting a money goal: 58

Source: GoBankingRates.com.

When asked what one food or dish they most look forward to eating each year during this holiday season, percentage who cited turkey, according to a Harris Poll: 32

Ranks of stuffing (9 percent), ham (8 percent), pie (7 percent), sweet potatoes/yams (3 percent) and mashed potatoes (3 percent) on the list: 2, 3, 4, 5 (tie)

Percentage of adults who like to wash that holiday meal down with wine: 64

Source: The Harris Poll.

Amount of credit card debt racked up by U.S. consumers during the third quarter of 2016, which is the seventh-largest third-quarter accumulation in the last 30 years, according to WalletHub's 2016 Credit Card Debt Study: $21.9 billion

Projected net increase in credit card debt in 2016: $80 billion

Source: WalletHub.

Ranks of Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Ava, Mia and Isabella on the list of the most popular baby names for girls in 2016, according to babycenter.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Ranks of Jackson, Aiden, Lucas, Liam, Noah and Ethan on the list of the most popular baby names for boys in 2016: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: BabyCenter.

Percentage of working Americans who are leaving some of their company-paid vacation time on the table this year, according to a new study by Bankrate.com: 52

Percentage of younger millennials who say they'll use none of their paid vacation days for 2016: 25

Source: Bankrate.com.

Number of people who will lose their lives on the roadways during the Christmas holiday period, according to National Safety Council estimates: 314

Estimated number of fatalities expected during the three-day New Year's holiday period: 364

Estimated number who may be seriously injured on the roads during the Christmas holiday: 37,200

Estimated number who may be seriously injured on the roads during the New Year's holiday: 41,900

Source: National Safety Council.

Percentage of Americans who have "flaked" on a first date they made through an online dating site, according to the Naughty and Nice behaviors survey by Toluna: 15

Percentage who have ghosted someone (to "ghost" someone is to go on more than one date or be involved with someone, and then stop communication completely with no explanation or warning): 21

Source: Toluna QuickSurveys.

Percentage of Americans who earned some money from an online "gig" platform in the last year, according to the PEW Internet and American Life Project: 8

Percentage who earned money selling something online this year: 18

Source: PEW Internet and American Life Project.

Ranks of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Singapore on the list of nations with the best non-native English speakers in the world, according to the EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) released by EF Education First: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Source: EF Education First. Contact Sir/Madam at.

Percentage of men who flat out refuse to dance, according to a survey by yougov.com: 34

Percentage of men who think they are bad or terrible dancers: 47

Source: Yougov.com.

Idle Thought

"The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be." -- Louis de Bernieres, novelist

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of adults who plan to go carolling, according to a Pew Research Center poll: 16

Percentage who will attend religious services Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, a drop from 69 percent when they were children: 54

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Percentage of Americans who say they most look forward to spending time with friends and family during the holiday season, according to a Harris Poll: 52

Ranks of holiday dinners and parties, finding and giving presents, and putting up holiday decorations on the list of holiday events they most enjoy: 2 (tie), 4

Percentage of Americans who say the one thing they dislike most about the holidays is spending too much money: 27

Source: The Harris Poll.

Estimated number of children (under the age of 18) in the world, according to a study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life and cited in the column "Santa Science: The Straight Facts on Father Christmas" by Zachary Sniderman: 2 billion

At a rate of, say, 3.5 children per household, number of homes Santa will visit: 91.8 million

Number of hours of Christmas that Santa has to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the Earth, assuming he travels east to west: 31

Number of visits he must make per second: 822.6

Speed at which Santa's sleigh must travel: 650 miles per second (3,000 times the speed of sound)

Source: Santa Science.

Percentage of respondents to the marriage proposal survey by Chilisauce who chose Christmas Eve as the best time to pop the question: 31

Percentage of proposals that are expected to happen around Christmas: 40

Ranks of Valentine's Day, New Year's Eve and birthday on the list of the best times for a marriage proposal: 2, 3, 4

Source: Chilisauce Ltd.

Weight of the 9.5-foot Swarovski crystal star that was placed on top of Rockefeller Center's iconic Christmas tree to officially mark the start of the holiday season in New York City, according to NBC New York: 550 pounds

Number of Swarovski crystals comprising the star: 25,000

Total number of facets (plane surfaces) on the star: 1 million

Source: NBC News.

Year that Barbie debuted at the annual Toy Fair in New York, according to research by Convergex: 1959

Year Barbie's beau, Ken, was introduced: 1961

Since her birthday on March 9, 1959, estimated number of careers she has had: 150

Year that Entrepreneur Barbie was introduced to celebrate women in business: 2014

Source: Good Housekeeping.

Estimated number of Americans who have had deliveries swiped from their doorsteps, according to a study conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International: 20 million

Percentage of homeowners who frequently allow delivered packages to be left out on their porch or stoop: 40

Source: Allstate Insurance Company.

Percentage of people who said the holiday party is very important to office morale and company success, according to a BizzBash and Seamless survey: 72

Percentage who reported an improved office culture: 71

Percentage who saw team dynamic improve: 67

Percentage who reported increased productivity: 18

Source: BizBash.

Percentage more that shoppers are projected to have spent this holiday season, an average of $1,121 each, according to PwC's 2016 Holiday Outlook: 10

Percentage of retailers who indicated they will provide both free shipping and free returns this holiday season: 60

Percentage of pet owners -- almost half of all households nationwide -- who are expected to buy gifts for their animal companions: 50

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ranks of crowds and long lines, aggressive or thoughtless driving in shopping centers, bad traffic and weight gain on the list of holiday dreads as cited by Americans, according to Consumer Reports: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Consumer Reports.

Idle Thought

"A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees." -- Amelia Earhart

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.)