【美國消費最低的一州,還是贏過全世界每一個國家】🛒
2024 年的人均家庭消費支出,美國排最後的愛達荷州是 44,396 美元。外國經濟體裡最高的是百慕達,40,684 美元,還是低於愛達荷。德國約 3.2 萬,英國約 3 萬,日本約 2.3 萬。
這個口徑會系統性放大美國。經濟合作暨發展組織與歐盟統計局做跨國比較時用的是「實際個人消費」,差別就在政府直接提供的醫療與教育。美國家庭自己買保險、自己付醫藥費,每一塊錢都記在家庭消費那一欄;丹麥人接受同樣治療,經費走稅收,一塊錢都不會出現。
這一格的金額不小。美國每人醫療支出 2024 年約 14,775 美元,同級富裕國家平均約 7,860 美元,差額接近 7,000 美元。愛達荷贏過百慕達的幅度是 3,712 美元。
換成實際個人消費,美國仍然是 OECD 最高,大約高出平均 50%。所以美國人消費多這件事站得住,消失的是「每一州都贏過每一國」這種整齊的排法。
圖上真正穩的是體量:50 州只占圖中人口的 4.5%,卻占了 19.6% 的消費,這個對比不受口徑影響。不穩的是各州跟各國之間的名次。
資料來源: 世界銀行、美國經濟分析局、經濟合作暨發展組織、Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (圖片來自 @cremieuxrecueil)
America's Lowest-Spending State Still Outspends Every Country
Household consumption per person in 2024 ran to $44,396 in Idaho, the lowest of the 50 US states. The top foreign economy on the chart is Bermuda at $40,684, still below Idaho. Germany sits near $32,000, the UK near $30,000 and Japan near $23,000.
This particular measure flatters the United States by construction. When the OECD and Eurostat compare countries they use actual individual consumption, and the difference is the health care and education that governments provide directly. An American family buys insurance and pays medical bills, and every dollar of it lands in household consumption. A Danish family receives the same treatment through a tax-financed system, and none of it does.
The amounts involved are large. US health spending ran to about $14,775 per person in 2024 against roughly $7,860 across comparable wealthy countries, a gap of nearly $7,000. Idaho beats Bermuda by $3,712.
Switch to actual individual consumption and the United States is still the highest in the OECD, around 50% above the average. So Americans really do consume more. What disappears is the tidy result where every single state clears every single country.
The durable part of the chart is scale. The 50 states are 4.5% of the people shown and 19.6% of the consumption, and that holds whichever measure you pick. The fragile part is the ranking between states and countries.
Source: World Bank, US Bureau of Economic Analysis, OECD and the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker (Image: @cremieuxrecueil)