The nuts and bolts of a 24-hour economy

Globally, the night-time economy is a multi-billion-dollar engine of activity, supporting millions of jobs across transport, hospitality, healthcare, energy, security, entertainment and urban services. Its appeal lies in its simplicity: extend trading hours, increase labour shifts, and unlock more spending. But the glossy promise masks a complex architecture.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that the global 24-hour economy stretching from varying sectors such as logistics, travel, manufacturing, hospitality will grow from roughly US$9.4 billion in 2024 to nearly US$25 billion by 2035. In several advanced markets, night-time activity contributes as much as four percent of GDP.