Thread: UK standard of living rises above that in America for the first time in a century

UK standard of living rises above that in America for the first time in a century

For the first time in more than 100 years, British living standards have risen above those of Americans, a report has declared.

Increasing incomes, longer holidays and "free" healthcare have all contributed to making Britons better off than our friends across the Atlantic, according to the respected Oxford Economics consultancy.

The feel-rich factor is calculated using the gross domestic product (GDP) per citizen - an indicator of average incomes - which in Britain will be £23,500 this year, compared with £23,250 in America, it predicts.

"The UK has been catching up steadily with living standards in the U.S. since 2001, so it is a well-established trend rather than simply the result of currency fluctuations."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=506442&in_page_id=177o

As I have long suspected, the American empire is in terminal decline and the British empire, as was, could be on the rise again.

This is laughable.

Prices and taxes in the USA are way below those in the UK.

£ 23,500 per annum in the UK. No wonder people are borrowing so much.

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

£ 23,500 per annum in the UK. No wonder people are borrowing so much.

That is only an 'average', but to be an average there must be those below that figure as well. I agree, I don't know how you'd live on £23k in the UK let alone less than that!?!

I have heard some stories about that FREE healthcare in the Uk. It sounds....eerm....uhhhh.......superb

Standard of living is a very subjective measure. For example, I think Australia's standard of living would beat both places hands down, but I doubt that is reflected in economic reports.

Originally Posted by sabang

I think Australia's standard of living would beat both places hands down, but I doubt that is reflected in economic reports.

it is...

1. Iceland 0.968 ( 1)
2. Norway 0.968 ( 1)
3. Australia 0.962 ()
4. Canada 0.961 ( 2)
5. Ireland 0.959 ( 1)
6. Sweden 0.956 ( 1)
7. Switzerland 0.955 ( 2)
8. Japan 0.953 ( 1)
9. Netherlands 0.953 ( 1)
10. France 0.952 ( 6)
11. Finland 0.952 ()
12. United States 0.951 ( 4)
13. Spain 0.949 ( 6)
14. Denmark 0.949 ( 1)
15. Austria 0.948 ( 1)
16. United Kingdom 0.946 ( 2)
17. Belgium 0.946 ( 4)

from Human Development Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

^seems they don't take temperature into consideration or they like it cold.

Originally Posted by chitown

I have heard some stories about that FREE healthcare in the Uk. It sounds....eerm....uhhhh.......superb

Yeah, that'll no doubt be propaganda from the HMO's and the like in the US whose job is to convince you that it's better to be bankrupted when you are unfortunate enough to get sick than seek treatment because it's free (and therefore all evil and communist like)

Originally Posted by NickA

1. Iceland 0.968 ( 1)
2. Norway 0.968 ( 1)
3. Australia 0.962 ()
4. Canada 0.961 ( 2)
5. Ireland 0.959 ( 1)
6. Sweden 0.956 ( 1)
7. Switzerland 0.955 ( 2)
8. Japan 0.953 ( 1)
9. Netherlands 0.953 ( 1)
10. France 0.952 ( 6)
11. Finland 0.952 ()
12. United States 0.951 ( 4)
13. Spain 0.949 ( 6)
14. Denmark 0.949 ( 1)
15. Austria 0.948 ( 1)
16. United Kingdom 0.946 ( 2)
17. Belgium 0.946 ( 4)

^
That looks more believable to me, although im surprised the UK featured in the top 17.

Ireland is the surprise. Do they have a very high standard of living or is it just very expensive ?

Originally Posted by astasinim

That looks more believable to me, although im surprised the UK featured in the top 17.

If those little up/down green/red arrows indicate change from previous year then the UK is movin on up and the US is movin on down. Also, this is a human development ranking. Is standard of living the same?

Originally Posted by Norton

the US is movin on down.

They can probably thank Mr. Bush for that.

I quiet liked living in England, but ive never lived in America, so Im not sure, but its probably not as good because i dont like american football or baseball or basket ball, but I do like football and crikcet. Also I like curry's, I dont know if you can buy Indian curry's in America, so I woulsd have to know about that first befor I deiced.

But nobody's answered the fundamental basis of the report. How do you link per capita Gross Domestic Product to standard of living?

I offer an example:
Country A makes a lot of shit and exports it to Country C.
Country B makes very little but consumes all it makes.
Country C imports shitloads from Country A, at very high cost.

What does any of this have to do with how well they live compared to each other? Throw in currency fluctuations (very wild lately) and it get even murkier. rubbish.

I would have expected to see some chart which combines:

A) Life expectancy;
B) Literacy;
C) GDP;
D) Inflation;
E) Cost of living;
F) Self-destruction (suicide)rate.

A because it is an indication of the health of the population
B because educated people can achieve more
C because it is an indication of individual incomes
D because it is an indication of the rate at which C is being eroded
E because it is an indication of how much of C is disposable
F because if after taking acount of A-E people aren't happy then there is something else (weather, crime, freedom of pression,etc) that people are still unhappy about.

I did see a survey that came close to this once and Australia came out on top with Canada close behind.

Originally Posted by astasinim

Originally Posted by NickA

1. Iceland 0.968 ( 1)
2. Norway 0.968 ( 1)
3. Australia 0.962 ()
4. Canada 0.961 ( 2)
5. Ireland 0.959 ( 1)
6. Sweden 0.956 ( 1)
7. Switzerland 0.955 ( 2)
8. Japan 0.953 ( 1)
9. Netherlands 0.953 ( 1)
10. France 0.952 ( 6)
11. Finland 0.952 ()
12. United States 0.951 ( 4)
13. Spain 0.949 ( 6)
14. Denmark 0.949 ( 1)
15. Austria 0.948 ( 1)
16. United Kingdom 0.946 ( 2)
17. Belgium 0.946 ( 4)

^
That looks more believable to me, although im surprised the UK featured in the top 17.

I am more surprised that Spain is in the Top 17 but Germany is not.

^ Germany is still 'recovering' from the reunification process. Absorbing the former socialist East-Germany has been quite a huge financial and social burden.

^ Dont tell Fabian that, he's a proud kraut...

Standard of living in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Seems there are several methods of measure. For what it's worth the above on the US.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

^ Germany is still 'recovering' from the reunification process. Absorbing the former socialist East-Germany has been quite a huge financial and social burden.

I would also think since reunification the former east is pulling down "averages" used in determining German standard of living.

Originally Posted by chitown

I have heard some stories about that FREE healthcare in the Uk. It sounds....eerm....uhhhh.......superb

Free health care?

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Free health care?

Must be communist propaganda like free schooling and free emergency services.

Better dead than red! Yee haw!