What would happen to GDP per head if the U.S. stopped defending Europe and Europe had to spend as much on defense as the U.S. presently does?

Dave, California, USA

The only way a country can enjoy a high standard of living with socialist policies is by having another country defend it for free.

Dave, California, USA

GDP/capita and PPP define quality of life?
I'm less well off financially living in the UK, it's a very expensive country to live in but by no means the worst and I much prefer it here to the soulless cities of the US, no small business, no art, no culture - just big cars, big tv's and big people.

Fraser, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom

i have lived within NYC and London and in the upper-middle class suburbs surrounding both cities. the suburbs of London are complete dumps compared to what you could get in Jersey or Conn. in the U.S. the UK housing prices are ASTRONOMICAL and the quality you get is simply not up to par AT ALL.

Alex, London, England

I think everyone on here is taking this a little too serious and getting too patriotic.
I come from Boston, MA. I moved to Leeds, UK about 8 years ago and I have to say it's nice to visit but i would never move back to the USA!!!
England you don't know how good you've got it!!! especially leeds

mike, leeds, UK

I've lived in the US because i fell in love. im back now & I think people's bad opinion of the UK is due to affluenza & negative thought tendencies. you all need to change your lives, get down to devon and cornwall, and take advantage of the rainy weather by spending it camping! whats your problem??

Justin, Teignmouth, Devon, UK

what this should read is that the value of the dollar hits a new low. this is simply 100% not true, as everyone has already stated ppp plays a massive part as the US has enormous economies of scale and much lower production costs (apparently). the real problem is the tax they pay over here is inherently insane considering how expensive it is to live your daily life. it would be fine if things were subsidized properly but there is little policing aside from cameras that catch crime but not the criminal and if the criminal is caught he gets an absurdly small prison sentence if at all. public transport in London is the most expensive in the world (by a long shot) but yet is eternally delayed. the hospitals have enormous waiting lists and what i don't get is that people don't realize only 18% of america has no health coverage...a large number but far lower than people think. most people who are not covered are illegal immigrants and the stories about care being so expensive are rare

alex, London,

I just want to give a reality check to one poster,Elwin parsley, who stated that the ipod was 'designed by a Brit', that 90% of the music on "it" is British. That's funny because as a former member of the Apple PP2 team I seem to recall only one Brit on the team (Jonathan Ive)and Jonathan's contributions were in the shell design and not the internal workings. As to 90% of the songs on the ipod being British, surely you realize that the contents of ipods are individiual and likely based on the individual taste of the ipod owner. In the UK your 90% stat might (and might not as I'm certain you made it up on the spot) be accurate but I seriously doubt that your typical ipod owner outside the UK has as much British content as American content.

Ashwin, Phoenix, AZ

I have dual citizenship! I grew up in New York & moved to London when I was 35. We raised 5 sons here. I really much prefer Britain, despite it's faults.

People are much more "a citizen of the world" here. The States is isolated & doesn't get on well with the rest of the world. There's a lot of help & support for families in the UK. Health, eye doctors & dentists free for kids & the poor.

I had cancer & had to stop working for 10 years. I didn't have to worry about my kids, the rent or anything. I had the best surgeon & consultants. Clean, modern & compassionate care - all free. The government paid our rent & supported us & our kids for many years. Now we can afford to pay some of our own way, but still get government help. We can't afford vacations or eating out every week, but we are not suffering.

I shudder to think of what our lives would have been like if I lived in the States.

Joy Tucker, London, UK

Why are expats always so bitter? You'd think that they'd be proud Britain is doing well!

Moving to a new country doesn't mean you have to hate the old!

Marcus, Perth, Australia

I lived in wigan for 30 yrs, I moved to North Carolina 4 yrs ago.
Maybe for the more more wealthy better off areas the UK citizens maybe better off.....at least on paper in looks rosie.....when in fact the US has a much higher standard of living - i'm talking of the low earners....also the UK is very far behind in lots of ways to the US....i mean - a lot of wigan and leigh is like a dump compared to this place.....i still feel like i'm on holiday living here....it is beautiful. Living in a beautiful sunny place makes up for a lot.......low earning families from the grim UK north have no idea how grim the north of england really is....just come visit america......you'll realise what a dump the UK is in comparison......i used to be a staunch england boy.......now - i've no time for the english government....when you see how spoiled americans are in their normal lives - they are so lucky to have governments and heads of states that really care about the place they live in.

phillip tidmarsh, rougemont, USA / NC

I'm an American living in the UK (i.e. circa de Oxford). Here's my take:
1) Gas is much cheaper in the US; however, we import about 50-60% of it which in turn increases are national debt through infationary pressureon the dollar and importation from the Middle East. A precentage of the money is borrowed from the likes of China. So, I think the free ride is about to end. As the price of gas is increasing.
2) Healthcare is good in the UK. It's not free (i.e. national issurance of about 125 quid-about 250 US dollars a month), but you won't lose it. If you have good US insurance, you are better off. Just don't lose your job. I saw on CSPAN the director of a Cancer research (i.e. non-profit) saying that cancer is the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the US.
3) Living in the UK, the one thing I really miss is the open space of the US. The UK is about the size of Oregon; the difference in population is about 60 million (i.e. Oregon has about 3 million, UK has 63 million). Hence, why they are so Socialist. If we applied the US capitalist model here, it would be China (i.e. couldn't breath the air, would't want to eat the food)
4) Education is roughly the same. I know it's a big generalization. The main reason the US and UK rank low on international scale is lack of funding and a huge immigartion population (e.g. the school I taught at in Oxford had twenty different languages spoken compared to a California school district I worked at had 35). There's good and bad in both. For the Socialist haters, the Nordic countries have the best education. Although, no European country is "socialist"; it's a hybrid between the Anglo-American capitalism and a socialist state.
My family is moving back to California soon. Mostly to be with family and friends, renew my teaching credential and the weather. But, England is always an options for my family ( my wife is English), especially if the political climate doesn't improve.

dave chisler, Chipping Norton, UK

I wonder how UK living standards compare to Australia , I know the Aussies tend to work more hours and for a while there under the Howard government it looked like Australia would adopt the long hours and no holidays approach of the US.

I believe the British have a good balance between work and play and tend to go out and socialize more , however here in Oz many people own more than one home and are driven by material things...I suppose it all depends on quality of life rather than quantity.

Mike Dawson, Brisbane, Australia

I'm amazed at the negativity being displayed in some of these comments. Instead of trying to compare apples and oranges about comparative lifestyles in the US and UK the key factor to me is that the UK is finally reaping the benefits of years of sustained economic growth. Furthermore unlike the US we don't have the festering wound of a foreign war sucking the lifeblood out of our economy so the future for the UK is looking positive and we can face it with a degree of optimism- how many Americans can say that about their country?

A M Johnston, Central Scotland,

In reply to JD of Washington and having lived in France for over seven years I can categorically state that French national debt amounts to 1150 billion euros or 1686 billion dollars (official national statistics for 2006) or 80% of their GDP and is increasing by at each year depending on its economic growth. It hasn't affected Europe (yet). Being English and having lived in all the countries mentioned I believe that the best living standards can be found in North America, either Canada or the US, but is having more money the best sign of a good life?

Alan MABBETT, Lyon, France

Many commenters above cannot distinguish between "standards of living" and "quality of life"

On the heath service issue, let me add, that I can phone for an appointment with my GP, and always get one the next day, but sometimes if early enough on the same day. Free, (except for a life time of National Insurance tax).

In Uk we also have Health Insurance and a private sector, if you want a private room and flowers by your bed, and instant service, but why pay twice?

Steve Lill, Bedford, UK

I mostly agree with the dissidents. However, on three key points:

1. The food in the UK has improved beyond all recognition. Anyone getting bad food there clearly doesn't know where to eat. Even the little titchy town my parents live in on the Isle of Wight has a first rate Italian restaurant and a very good South Indian one. So the stereotypes are just that these days where food is concerned.

2. Re. air conditioners. Um, how often are air conditioners actually necessary in the UK? One day every decade?

3. Housing is cheaper in the US because it is much bigger. New York compares pretty equally with London on house prices, as do other North American busy cities like Vancouver. So it's a bit of a false argument, and doesn't really make NA inherently superior to the UK.

Matthew Nash, Dalian, China

ONE significant factor that was not mentioned is the mass migration of poverty-stricken Mexicans into the United States. It's driving down wages (i.e. increased supply of low-skilled labor = decreased wages).

Elites on both sides of the border are happy to continue the illegal migration: American politicians (i.e. Bush and the entire liberal Democrat Party) are paid by businesses who want the profitable labor to continue unabated, while Mexican politicians do not want to fix their corrupt, poverty-stricken society an instead want to push the poverty onto the backs of the American taxpayer.

It's a process that cannot be sustained. California -- which is home to a third of the illegal alien population (4 million) -- has been hurt the worst. We're billions in debt -- and that's just one state! California's economy is equivalent to the size of France. Imagine the effect on Europe if France was 40 billion dollars in debt!

J.D., Washington, DC, U.S.A.

The demand for competitive, and highly profitable UK services (banking, insurance, investment management etc) makes the pound look high for goods. London is the worlds largest financial centre. That is what the UK produces, not goods. This is generally regarded as a superior mix by economists, but it needs more diversification.

The high cost of goods mean the middle class cant afford US levels of consumption and waste (which has its benefits). The UK poor are generally better off than the US due to public services.

David, London,

You know, when we Yanks got fed up with taxation, we dumped a bit of tea in the harbor and told George III to take a hike.

I daresay, might you try this approach also. A little revolution now and then helps to preserve and reinvigorate liberty. If enough were to show up with pitchforks at the doors of Parliament, some MPs might begin to get the idea. Tarring and feathering also worked well historically.

No nation of individuals which allows its political class to reach into its citizens' purses and take out that to which it has no legitimate or moral entitlement which is then converted for the benefit of strangers at the expense of the rightful owner, is not free. The US is certainly included. It just hasn't become quite as bad over here yet.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

US petrol costs approx $3 for a gallon (~4 liters), that's roughly 1.50 in pounds.

Petrol prices in the UK are what, 3 or 4 times that ?

You may get paid more, but after taxes and the cost of things in general, you have a lot less...

and no, I am neither american nor live in america...

dan, vancouver, canada

Agreed Nick Knight.

Also factor in that US industry has, until this point, paid little or no attention to their blatant disregard to the use of natural resources. (I forget the exact figures but its something like 5% of the worlds population (The US) consuming 20% of its natural resources). This is an issue that can no longer be ignored by the US, will go somewhere to explain why oil may rise to over $200 a barrel.

So carry on driving your big cars, eating out all the time, buying oceans of appliances just because the previous one was 12mths "out of date" and see where it leaves you. Somewhere close to where California was a few years ago when the utility companies where going bust. Either that or you can carry on getting defensive and sticking your heads in the sand, as most seem to be doing, rather than taking note of the warning signs.

Dan Rossiter-Poulton, London,

I and my family have lived and worked in both the UK and the States and I would hazard to offer the following opinion:

*If you’re very poor and especially if you have any long term illness, don't live in America there is nothing there for you.

*If you are young and have not bought a house or "made it", then the US has a lot to offer, your disposable income is much higher, property is cheap, but don't view it as an investment as the supply is high.

*If you have bought a house and have a good job, then either is fine, although I hazard living in England is bit safer for the middle class, given the Homicide rate in the US is astronomical.

*If you are old, but have money then I reckon the US is best as your money goes further, but if you don't then UK is better as we generally have more support, generally.

Conclusion: You takes your choice, but I would say a lot of Americans come and work in the UK and so it's not all one way traffic. For what it's worth I like both.

Julian, Bristol, UK

To Olivia, Oxford, UK

The average American probably doesn't hold a passport because they simply don't need a passport in order to enjoy a high standard of living and to escape from the opressive socialistic regimes which now seem rampant in many parts of the world. Britain is fast becomming a politically correct "nanny state." Several of my friends who use to frequent London, Monaco, Berlin, Nice etc for parts of the yeay much more than I did, have now grown tired of Europe and the UK alltogether and have moved to places like Miami Fl, or the carribean.. Oxford is a great place and I have fond memories of it (mostly pub crawls), but, face it, it's not Cambridge.

Cheers.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

Can someone explain why the GBP is so consistently strong? Just prior to WWII Britian was nearly bankrupt and since that time it's industrail base has been in steady decline. Some comments indicate a serious lack of jobs yet today. So what accounts for the apparent contradiction? Tight suppy? Just curious.

Asa Martin, Chillicothe, USA

More might be said about the denominator in the equation. With the influx of millions of illegal aliens and their children, it is no wonder the "per capita" GDP is dropping in the US. It is hardly a reflection of much else.

Mark Johnson, Bristol, Virginia USA

Sir, Living standards are not just about income levels. They are also about things like having a clean and unpolluted environment, clean toilets at airports, train fares that do not break the bank, an efficient and effective NHS, underground stations that are not used as drug injection sites, a school system that does not rank 24th in the world, a political system that is effective, efficient, and acts in a timely manner, house prices that do not represent a fanciful level. In short, if Britain represents the highest standard of living, then the standard used to determine this rating needs to be reviewed, as do most of the entrenched standards that exist in Britain today.

Jim Wills, Brisbane, Australia

More propaganda from the socialist elites. Come down from your pedistals and do your jobs with objective, honest reporting. Otherwise, take off. The Grey Lady is going out of business and this is why.

Leroy, NYC,

My buddy just moved to England with his family to work for 2 years. A small jar of peanut butter costs four times as much as a large jar here. Everything is at least twice as expensive. Its nice that the per capita income is higher but the quality of life can't be anywhere near. You can buy a brand new 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Phoenix for 130,000 USD, thats 65,000 UKP. Could anyone buy a home in the UK for that price in a major city?

Again its quality of life. Switzerland has a high per capita income but it too is very expensive. I even notice Canada has become more expensive lately, which is probably the closest country cost wise. I would take quality of life and cost of living over per capita income every time. At the same time I'm glad that the per capita income is going up in England. Hopefully some day they will have a quality of life there like over here.

Marc, Phoenix, Arizona

Dave in NYC
One assumes that you did the First in History at Oxford because there isn't too much history to study in the USA?

Iain, London,

Yea great, except I,m twice as happy on a third of the money in South Africa.
My bussiness is growing, my home is increasing in value.
The sun is out, might go for a burn on my bike and waive at all the happy freindly people at the cafe and in the street.
Money is nothing.

John, Gordans Bay, R.S.A Western Cape

RON PAUL 2008! This is why we in America Support Ron Paul who supports freedom, liberty, justice. Individual liberty is #1. Stop the taxes, stop inflation, stop the federal reserve. Wake Up America. Our economy is collapsing. We have 700 bases in 144 countries. Wake UP! Ron Paul Revolution! The US dollar is on the rocks. Look up Ron Paul on youtube and watch him speak on the economy. He knows this is happening. RON PAUL 2008!!!!!!

Bobby Rossigliano, Kalispell, MT, USA

So all UK now has to do is sort out its education, health care, pension, taxes, crime, traffic congestion, energy pricing, transport costs, high housing costs, overcrowding, long working hours, juvenile problems and teenage pregnancies and we might all want to live there again.

Robert, Luxembourg,

"If California were to become a country it would still be more economically powerfull than the UK. That goes for several other states. "

Sorry that's just not true. The UK's GDP is about $2.9 trillion whereas the US's is about $14.4 trillion of which California with approx 17% makes up around $2.4 trillion. Sourec being The Economist.

But what does it matter - let's say we are all doing well and just be friend's eh? :-)

David Williams, Beijing, China

America has a few advantages that the UK won't have in many lifetimes. We have loads and loads of space to keep our housing prices down. Loads of good land to farm to keep our food costs down. Lots of Latin American migrant labour to work all of that. Quicker access to Asian goods by sea. That by itself will keep our costs down for many many years.

Some things we don't have are many walkable cities with vital safe town centers that aren't segregated by race and income. Job security and vacation time.

So we have the comforts and the living standards, but I don't know if we make up for it in all the intangibles.

Claudia, Atlanta, USA

As a European and American I would agree with much of what is said here. The USA today does have a higher standard of living then in the UK. The intresting part, and scary part for Republicans is that the USA is beginning to be seriously challenged. If business continues to control politics in the USA, then this will not be true for much longer. That is something to remember from this article!

NIck Knight, Skerries, Ireland

Most Americans don't appreciate it how much things have changed in the past twenty years in that they still equate military prowess with financial, social, and economic prowess and they seldom travel to Europe or the UK where standards of living have DRAMATICALLY changed.

It will take another year of Bush and republican policies and the 5 - 10 years afterward in which the negative effects of these policies will be slowly mitigated, but not without with some considerable further cost to the US economy for them to begin to realize just how far and how fast they have fallen had they not invested so disproportionalely heavily in exploded ordiance, spent jet and ship fuel, and overfeeding the bank accounts of defense contractors and other already wealthy republican campaign donors. It always takes time for those in denial to be unable to overlook reality.

sp, Ocean Springs, MS

Dave in NYC

No one is declaring Americans "total morons". I think your misreading of this economy-minded article highlights where the insecurity's at in this equation.

For example, it's not really the done thing here to go on about your degrees from Oxford. Nor to choose phrases such as "cruising to a First in History" (History? try "cruising" to a First in PPE, which might have furnished you for better interpreting articles such as these. Or how about Engineering?).

Best regards

Zoe Marie Bullingham (Oxon)

Zoe Marie Bullingham, London/NYC,

-You Brits can have a higher standard of living than the USA, But you can't protect yourselves or your high standard of living, because the criminal/YOB has more rights than the law abiding citizen. If you can protect yourself and not go to jail then you deserve the higher standard of living.

Samuel, California, USA

You can't announce a better 'standard of living' simply by the level of GDP.
Here in France I guarantee our £21 700 goes a whole lot further than the Brits £23 500.

Houses are half the price, trains are cheap and run on time,villages aren't occupied by DFLs, the supermarket shopping trolley costs 25% less than the UK ,we aren't filmed 24 /24 and i can park my car in a city and not have it whipped away whithin minutes ... thats what i call standard of living !

andy James, lyon, france

As an American living in Britain, I know for a fact that living standards are much higher in the US. If the average Brit is making more in gross wages than the average American, he doesn't get to take it home. Taxes are sky high so the average Brit doesn't see it in his wallet. The healthcare system in Britain is medival compared to the US. It takes weeks to see a doctor and there is a 6 month waiting list for the dentist. Gasoline sits at $8 a gallon; food and housing is at least 20% higher than the US and you get about one fourth of the space. The Press here is totally in the Socialist camp so these stories are put out so they feel good about giving 80% of their salaries for taxes and a totally inefficient government. People here do not dare question the Socialist indoctoration that is pounded into them the minute they start school. Can't wait to get back home.

Matthew S, Leeds, United Kingdom

God, what a display of defensiveness from the US... You might want to realize that the US is not the only sucessful place in the world right now. Here in Zurich, taxes are low, wages high, holiday long, the scenery is beautiful and pubic transport works like clorkwork. If we want cheap goods we have this amazing new invention called the internet which has goods the same price as America as that is where they come from. Corporation tax is lower in every european country than in the US apart from Germany and that is set to change next year.

Tom, Zurich, Switzerland

I don't believe this study, and think it was commissioned by Government. The cost of utilities and taxes have risen sharply over the last decade... and we are ONLY JUST meeting US living standards? Appalling! I'm depressed, householders are depressed! Who cares about the "economy" when laymen are the backbone of Britain? Also, assuming 1 pound equals 2 dollars is fraught as the pound did not become that strong until last year, and it is slipping again!

Alex Tanner, New Quay, West Wales

I really doubt the reality of this report after staying a summer with an upper middle-class family with a detached 4 BR 2-story home on what I estimate to be 3-4 acres near Straford upon Avon. The household was about 10 years behind the US with the appliances and the fuel prices were attrocious compared even to our $3 a gallon.

JE, NW FL, USA

Having lived (Marlow) and worked(Reading) in England for
five years, I have a reasonable feel for this issue.

You clearly have the best pubs, although they are all being bought up by Beefeater and turned into MacDonalds. Your health care is a bad joke, and certainly not free.. Your purchasing power is less, regardless if you want to spend it on green things or SUV's. London has GREAT entertainment, but I'm not sure I'd want to eat there..

I think the real issue is that you (Brits) are still really mad because you pissed away the empire, (which includes us), and you have to find someone to take it out on.. and we're real handy.

This study reminds me of a study which found that young people who handle their problems by binging on alcohol are likely to have problems later on in life.. Duh.. and we spent how much money to find this out??

We had a great 5 years there, and keep in touch by talking with the 7 zillion Brits who come to Florida every year, because..???

Pete, Cortez, FL

I have lived and worked a decade each in Europe (two countries) and the US (seven states). I know of Britons in America who miss delightful bits of Blighty, but I know of none who believe that living standards are higher there.

The key is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). Figures for this from the IMF rank the US above the UK. Also, the Human Development Index of the United Nations ranks the US far above the UK.

Joe, New York, USA

only an idiot would equate gdp with standards of living. it's no use having money if you can't afford to buy anything. the only way we could have a decent standard of living is by taking our money to america to spend it. which is what plenty do.

and you can quit bleating about london salaries. look at property prices! you could buy wales for the price of a house in chelsea. um.... if you wanted to.

jem, london, uk

to Laura from London,

We dont have a welfare state here in America? HA! You havent looked closely enough. The working class pays hundreds of $billions into our cradle-to-grave welfare state, my dear. It's quite an epidemic, but owing to our capitalist myth it isnt talked about as much.

And we dont need American-born muslims killing Americans - we have American-born cops for that.

Which is not to say your complaints about England are invalid. I understand that they are.

Alas.

-Van

Van Dempsey, Santa Cruz, USA / California

Absolutely rubbish. The cost of living here in Britain is much much higher than the USA, France, and Germany. You cannot possibly compare us to these countries.

Chris, Birmingham,

"And still children starve in the UK".. where is your evidence for this Mike Poulsen? Children only starve in the UK if their parents neglect them and schools and social services fail to do their job properly, not because of the GDP of the country.

John Glover, Cheshire,

This is rubbish. The UK may have slightly higher incomes than their US counterparts but the cost of living is far higher and we pay more in tax for worse or no service. Think about council tax - we pay over £200 per month for a once fortnighly rubbish collection! The cost of living in the US is definitely cheaper and better.

Rohan, london, uk

I am an engineer in the petrochemical industry, live, work and travel in the USA, UK, France, Holland and Germany. I and my colleagues live in comparable residences, drive comparable cars and have comparable life styles. What is all the fuss about?

John, New Jersey,

This is arrant nonsense Oxford Economics are barking mad. The quality of live, over-pricing,bureacracy, public sector parasitical burden, delight in failure and hatred of
entrepreneurs plus class snobbery are endemic inB ritain. Everything in the USA is better
including Healthcare.

Not to mention space, the levels of courtesy, good-naturedness
and good democratic Government. Gordon Brown has not even been elected.
The US Presidential Primary System is superb

PS I am British from East Sussex

Simon Hamm, LONDON, UK

-There are 7.1 million US citizens living overseas (= 2-3% of the population). Why?

-The US has a jail population of 2,000,000 compared with les than 100,000 in the UK. Even with nearly 1% of its population behind bars, it still has massive no-go areas on the scale of nothing seen anywhere in Europe.
I guess if you're living in a walled-community you don't necessarily see that though.

-The US may have bigger cars but that assumes "big is beautiful".... I didn't see many mercs or BMWs last time I was in the US...but then neither of these are as big as you're gas-guzzling SUV/tanks they drive around in.

-Granted, overall, the line may not be clear between the UK and US but come to continental Europe where the standard of living is clearly higher than elsewhere in the world (and they haven't taken out insane amounts of debt to get there either, unlike the UK and US)!!!!

-Quality of life in continental Europe is also better as people are generally less dumbed-down.

Rob, Paris, France

Dave in NYC,

Is Yale a college for locksmiths?

Trevor, Leeds, UK

I doubt if anyone will read this comment now but these statistics can be dangerously misleading-the most ridiculous shows Ireland having the highest GDP in Europe-something that only shows how incredibly rich the relatively few super rich families in Ireland are.
Another joke is the CIA factbook that shows -believe it or not -that Poverty levels in Britain are 17% while poverty levels in Thailand are 11% -and there are worse examples-
The fact is that America is a huge underpopulated country with a dry climate and lots of timber so houses are cheaply made of wood(they blow down quickly to!) -there is a huge single market and a more ruthless cut throat competitive atitude in goods and services-so in many ways, life is better for the top 60% or so.But what should be accepted is that Britain has made huge strides in every area in the last 20 years -the greatest comeback in history in fact-yet it is depressing that sadly social pressures have seriously diminished the quality of life here

Lord truth, Budapest,

To answer the comments below: Indians prefer the UK to the US? Not to all of the Indians who work in a variety of tech companies in the US including Intel,Amazon,Directv, Microsoft, Adobe, Google, etc. There's lots of Indians who prefer coming to the US for better pay and better technology. Also, on a ? why we read UK papers. Yeah, many Americans read newspapers outside the US just to get a world view of opinions. With internet available,it's so easy to see what's written around the world. One thing that is common-the US seems to capture the majority of the headlines. What's up with the need to keep comparing to the US? As for my healtcare, I pay $15 copayment to see the best doctors there is since I have insurance. But a variety of county hospitals are available for the uninsured. If they can't afford it, they don't need to pay anything. Although, like in any country with 'free' healthcare, there's long waiting lists involve with county hospitals. http://www.old.dhs.lacounty.gov/

Ann, Pasadena, CA, USA

My dole seeking neighbour with her five kids, free house, new kitchen paid for by the council and of course, her complete lack of job seems to enjoy a very comfortable standard of living. My graduate friends taxed to within an inch of their lives less so.

Low taxation means more money for the individual but that they must take responsibility for their own welfare - that's the US model; crap roads but nice houses, big cars but with poor fuel efficiency, private medical care or death.

Socialism (thanks Labour) means high taxes and the government growing a welfare state whilst those of us who do work pay for it.

There are pros and cons to both systems, but to argue that you can have the welfare state and also enjoy a high standard of living is crazy. What gnarls me is we have crap roads and a crap health system and high taxes. I worked out that 75% of my net take home went on indirect taxes last month (council tax, fuel duty, road tax, VAT).

My NY resolution is leaving the UK.

marie, lancaster, uk

I can understand US residents obscession with the UK's awful dental health, but wanted to explain the reality of the dental system in the UK. I work 50-60 hours per week and the government rewards me by taking the equivalent of $4000 a month in tax and National Insurance (more tax) from me. I have private medical insurance (so do not need to use the NHS that I am paying for). I cannot get an NHS dentist so have had to register my family with a private one. My dentist has now decided that my children (11+13) cannot have HNS treatment so I have to pay for them too. I need a deep gum clean which I have been quoted $1800 for, which I cannot afford, so have delayed it. I would rather pay for my children to have nice teeth than myself. So think yourselves lucky. It may not be UK residents fault they have bad teeth it just that this government has not only taxed us until we bleed, but has bled us dry, so there is nothing left for dental treatment!

Phil C, London, UK

Hi everyone,

Does this even matter? Stop stressing out, ignore this rubbish and text message something nice to your boyfriend/girlfriend.

Much better way to spend your time!
:D

louise, brighton, uk

This is silly. I live in the midwest and even though I make less than what the US government designates as below the poverty line, I own a 1,850 sq. foot house with a yard. I also own two cars and have 6 computers.

Tom Graves, Edmond, OK, USA

When you see the poverty around the world, the UK and the US have nothing to complain about. How many of us go to bed hungry? For some people this is a way of life.

Kate, Palos Verdes, California

I suppose if you like socialism, more cameras aimed at you than any other country in the world, crappy weather, lousy food, awful traffic, and a useless "royal" family, the UK is great. Personally, I'll take my living standards here. Don't get me wrong, I really like the folks from over the pond, but saying the quality of living is better is very subjective if you like where you are.

Rich, Torrington , CT

We moved from the UK to California in '99. It was the best move we ever made. We actually took about a 30% drop in salary but our purchasing power went through the roof.

Things have gotten more expensive here but still way cheaper than the UK. A 42 inch plasma TV costs £485 here compared to £995 in the UK. Even at 3.00USD per gallon, gas is way cheaper here than in the UK.

We are begining to find healthcare costs very expensive. They have spiralled since we first arrived and, as we are getting older, they're not getting cheaper.

I and many of my American friends agree that the base quality of UK food is actually better than the US. Foods like cheeses, meats and seafood and beer are better in the UK. There may be more brands here but the quality is not so good. You can of course get anything you want in the US but if you steer away from the average you pay for it dearly.

I would never return to the UK. It is a much better country now than when we left but I'd never leave CA.

Jon, Los Angeles,

The issue is not the GDP per head, but rather the Net Spendable Income per head. This is the way that all Citizens judge wealth or poverty. This article is yet another example of Liberal Academics isolation from reality...............ie " If it sounds too good to be true, it isn't"

D Batten, Falmouth,

Never mind diferences in health care, dental care, concern for a green environment, fat poor people, and on and on. There is one standard that America still sets as compared to Britain- and it is an important one. One we can all be proud of! According to a recent blog in this paper: the Dallas airport's public toilet seats are so clean you can eat off them as compared to the toilet seats in London's airports.

If that doesn’t prove the point then nothing does!

Tom, New York, NY

Stop whining and be proud of the fruits of all your hard work! Congrat's from across the Atlantic!

James Shelley, Los Angeles, USA

The UN HDI – human development index – is a summary composite index that measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: health, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. Health is measured by life expectancy at birth; knowledge is measured by a combination of the adult literacy rate and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary gross enrolment ratio; and standard of living by GDP per capita (PPP US$).

1. Iceland
2. Norway
3. Australia
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Japan
9. Netherlands
10. France
11. Finland
12. United States
13. Spain
14. Denmark
15. Austria
16. United Kingdom

Fran, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The "necessity for A/C" doesn't come from cheaply built! We live in warmer climes especially here in Texas. I tried no A/C. Didn't like it. Normal summertime temps are 36C topping 40C. We welcome tourists here in the Lone Star State but we see them wilt at 28C; try doing a 12 hour work day in July, outside, and then tell me about our unnecessary "necessities".

Kent Herrick, Kerrville, Texas

Nonsensical arguments FOARP, Shenzhen, China?

My family and I left the UK in July 2007 and have since travelled trans Canada and settled on the West Coast, so any comparisons I might make are relatively current. We only stopped paying UK bills (Gas, electricity, Council tax) in the UK in December 2007. We run a 10 year old Ford which to date has only required minor maintenance after around 20,000 kilometres. Our current monthly living costs are less than half what we were paying in the UK.

So far my experience of US / Canadian goods is that quality is at least on a par with the UK, and like for like, the food is significantly better and cheaper. Health & Motor insurance is far more expensive, but that is all.

Please note that these are all first hand observations, based upon UK purchases made and recent UK / US / Canadian bills, Unlike the purely statistical evidence quoted in the report.

Martyn, Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Steve M should take a look at the towns of all the posters. It's not just his American cousins who are getting defensive, quite a few of your countrymen seem to agree.

Alicia , Powhatan, VA

Britons are only fooling themselves. There is no quality of life in the UK unless you are loaded. They like the country so much that they are leaving en masse to Spain?

Mordechai, London,

I'm suprised by the venom in the comments from many of the americans. Surely if they think their country is so great they shouldn't care if insignificant foreigners try to compare themselves to THE US OF A. Insecure perhaps.

I don't think the people who wrote this report were trying to covet controversy. No one seriously thinks that materially the UK is richer than the US. The report just underlines the UK favourable economic progress compared to other nations over the last few years. That it can be compared to the US is an achievement.

John, Tampa, US

this doesn't hold water. Anything we buy for a pound they buy for a dollar, so the Americans have an average income of USD46,500 which means they have have spending power of £46,500 ! We in real terms are earning half of what Americans earn

Rauf Karim, London, UK

This is meaningless seeing as the cost of living, housing, transport, taxes, fines et all, is WAY HIGHER in the UK than it is in the States.

Thalia, London,

I'm an American, and if the standard of living is better in the UK - well, good for you Brits! I think we should definitely improve our standard of living in the US, but as an ongoing process, not as part of some global competition. Realistically, there are differences between countries and cultures that are intangible but also affect one's happiness.

For example, in France, there is amazing food, wine, art - and people really take the time to enjoy it. Britain has some truly avant garde, innovative culture. Germany has 6 weeks vacation. Places like Singapore are amazingly clean and modern.

Here in the US - we have a spirit of independence and wide open spaces. Our average US house is 2200 square feet (yes, we still use feet, not meters!) and most American families own their home. We tend to be lazier in some ways, more hard working in others. I love America and wouldn't live anywhere else, but it's fun to visit other countries. When I do, I try to go native... :)

Shefali, Austin, Texas, USA

I do not know where you get our data or your standards of living come from, but I can tell you this. After living in Maidenhead for 6 years the home we had doesn't even come close to the quality of life I have in the U.S. And I made more in the U.K.! Here I make $100,000/yr and in the U.K. I made around $135,000/yr given the fluctuations of the exchange rate. I live now in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3100 sqft home on 1.5 acres of land and I am located on a very nice lake. I own (more owe) two cars, 2 motorcycles, and eat out at exremely nice restaurants at least twice a week.
If I become ill, I can see the doctor at any time. I had a hip replacement after waiting three days and spent one night in the hospital. I could never do that in England!
I think the survey is a little slewed.

William Thurston, Olive Branch, USA/MS

Big Al hit the nail on the head.

For cheapness of living the US beats the UK hands down but for quality its vice versa. To me a big house (poorly built.........with that necessity the aircon) and a big car (poorly built) for half the money do not make a high standard of living, it's the quality of your surroundings, quality and variety of products and their accessiblity, quality of entertainment available, accessiblilty of beautiful countryside, architecture of the built environment, quality of beer, sense of humour in your compartiots, ability to insult and criticise the government.........these and more count more to standard of living to me but to others maybe its the shopping malls, burger joints, crazies on the street and gun ownership that count. Standard of living is a personal perception - it's ridiculous to say that two developed nations like the UK and US can be so simply compared with one definately ahead of the other.

jack, cardiff UK,

A lot of people on this site are using pretty non-sensical arguments, to wit:

1) "My money goes further in the US" by which they mean that they have greater purchasing power because of lower prices, but this is true of any country which is poorer than the UK - what's your point?

2) "I lived in the UK in 1983 and it was much poorer . . ."

3) "America is the greatest country in the world!" - congratulations, but what's your point?

4) "Who do you guys think you are kidding, people in (insert fairly rich American state here) are much better off than people in (insert fairly poor British city here).

5) "What a load of rubbish, why, I saw (NRO/National Inquirer/Fox News/other totally biased news source) the other day and it said you Europeans are all poor folk who are going to be murdered in your beds by muslims"

To see whether Britons are actually better off than Americans you have to compare like with like and use reasoned argument, no more knee-jerk patriotism please!

FOARP, Shenzhen, China

I live in Watford but work often in the US. In reality the average American has a much better standard of living and quality of life.
Seems like the only people who belive people are better off in the UK are the same people who thinks Labour have done a good job.

John Miller, Watford,

Having spent the last 25 years winter holidays in Naples, FA, in the wealthiest county in USA, (and holidays in the Fall both in Bucks County in leafy PA and also in California), I am aware of the standards of living in the professional peoples homes I stay with, but their incomes/ standards, have remained about the same over those years, stagnated if you like, unless promotion has dragged them higher. I have enjoyed the comfort of their wealth.

However, Imokolee, in the same county, there are gangs of abused "slaves", illegal immigrants, working in the fields for dosh less than the minimum wage. In nearby prosperous Fort Myers, I know school teachers that say well over one third of the pupils leave school without being able to read and write. And many don't speak English. And, doesn't National average figures, show over one third of the US can't pay for Health Insurance, about another third only partially insured, while the remainder enjoy full coverage?

Steve Lill, Bedford, UK

I think the people voting with their feet (hello, Jon Livesey) says it all.

Livesey's American Neighbor, Sunnyvale, USA/California

This opinion is based on fiat money valuation and of little substance

joe, new york, USA

As a Britain who emigrated to the US, and a father of a daughter still living in Britain, I consider this pure hogwash.
I see where my daughter lives and how she lives and the price she pays for it and I am just sorry she did not follow me here.
My son did and the difference in living standards easily speaks for itself.

Ron, Sarasota Florida USA,

With the pound dropping like a stone against most currencies, these figures will soon be out of date.

What won't change with currency and GDP fluctuations, however, is quality of life.

In that regard, the UK lags the rest of the world by quite a way.

Jon Leigh, Southern, France

We have that trillion dollar Bush debt to pay off. The British were smarter-despite having Tony Blair egging them on to war-they limited their involvement in the crusade to find the mythical wmd and secure the oil supply for Exxon (so they can sell it to China).

Yes folks we are living beyond our means and our goverment borrows and spends rather than taxes and spends so we are becoming owned by the goverments of China and Dubai.

Europeans live well despite having far less land and natural resources and the latest studies show white males in England are in better health than white males in the USA.

Barnum was right-in America a sucker is born every minute.

Elizabeth Lee, Atlanta, GA

What is the point of comparing average incomes without comparing average outgoings?
We holiday in small town south-eastern USA almost every year and it is obvious that most day to day necessities are less than half the price in the USA compared with the UK.
Okay, so US health care is not free at point of use - and we think the NHS is, until we calculate the real cost in taxes, enormous wastage and the waiting times and level of care involved.

Martin Boyask, Hove, UK

I have just returned back to UK after living in Fort Worth(Texas) for 18 months, my life over there was great, life does seem cheaper in the US.......That is until you become ill or experience the dental system, thats when the medical system soon starts to 'rip you off' ......I payed over $600 for my daughters dental treatment, that's with insurance!!!! Over in UK it would have been free!!! I spent $100 on prescription drugs which I would have cost me under 7 GBP in UK .

OK gas (petrol) in US is cheaper , but it is almost impossible to find a small,economical car out there, and we found that since we needed to run two cars, we were actually using alot more petrol, and therefore were no better off?!!
Also, eating out over there is cheap for the amount that you get, but to eat healthy food costs a fortune. A small basket of healthy food from Walmart would cost me alot more than I would spend in the UK. You can spot the poor people in Texas as they are overweight, and look ill !!!

Jane Varcoe, Norwich, England

You have got to be kidding. Compare my house, cars, land to a comparable Englishman.

Fred Herrmann, Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.A.

Having lived in the UK and living now in USA, I can be only perplexed by this article.

While numerically the GDP might be the same in the two countries, maintenance of the standard of living is WA-A-Y cheaper in the USA.

Dishwashers, cars for each family member, excellent health and mental care (for those who care to get insured - and it costs me 1% of my salary), tropical vacations, are the norm.

I WISH I could do the same in England - but I couldn't - so I left.

Hellen, NY, USA

However, the British typically have significantly longer holidays than Americans as well as access to “free” healthcare.

Who is kidding whom? That is the same lie that the democrats are trying to pull over the eyes of American's this election cycle. There is no "free" lunch!

Srini Murthy, Charleston, USA

I think one of the most important things for a healthy standard of living is downtime. and the poor Americans are severely lacking in that particular department. I have several American cousins and I was shocked when they told me how few holidays they get, 2 weeks seems to be the average, I get 4 weeks plus bank holidays and that is very normal in this country. That cannot be healthy. You work to live not the other way around. It seems to me that the Americans are being worked to death by their government, I mean ask yourself this, would you rather pay more taxes and have a LOT more time off or less taxes and work far too much?

J Roberts, Manchester, UK

Just shows how stupid the methodolgy of collecting such data is, Britons are poorer than all the countries mentioned, but show up as richer.
Alternatively you could say the fact that such cash strapped people as the average Brit is considered richer than the people of the richest countries shows what a sad state of affairs the world is in.

Heiko Khoo, London, UK

We shouldn't pretend that we are yet as well off as Americans, in terms of spending power, but the sustained economic growth is something to be proud of. Now, if we could emulate the USA's recent achievements in cutting crime, improving education and healthcare, safeguarding personal freedoms and moving towards full employment, we would really have something to crow about.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

This just shows statistics are quantative and what matters to people is qualitative (experience, not numbers).

So GDP per head has overtaken the US (briefly, i bet) - so what? At least the Americans have better weather, more open spaces and aren't overcrowded and getting more overcrowded by the day. This is simply the sort of vapid extrapolation that politicians love.

One last point - why is it that people who mock or snipe at other countries and extol their own always seem to come from the worst, most undesirable areas of their own country? Are they overcompensating?

mike, Brighton, UK

This is a reflection of a bubble in exchange rates, and does not reflect reality. I'm an American living in London, and I can honestly say the UK has another 20 years to go to catch up with living standards in the U.S.

Matt, London,

Why do the Americans that post on the Times website have to be so insulting? I mean really some of these comments are really personal, why get so upset over a set of statistics that may or may not be true? If the Americans who post here are anything to go by (which I personally doubt) then you really are a bitter and unpleasant lot. You can keep your higher standard of living if having it means we have to be like you.

J Roberts, Manchester, UK

Dear David, the title of your article is a gross mis-representation of the facts contained. I can assume you did this to stimulate a response?
Living standards in UK... oh i did laugh!

Dave, Gibraltar,

Ha! So living standards are decided entirely by GDP per head are they? Living costs arent a factor? Housing costs arent a factor? Petrol? The reason we earn this wage is because everything costs so much! If the GDP per head was any less, then we would all be starving and homeless. The majority of people now have to get a mortgage which is almost 9 times that of their income! It's nice to pretend that we are all incredibly well off: Unfortunately, it is just a number.

Max, Truro, Cornwall

I find it odd that Americans would be so defensive of UK passing them on GDP per person, which is just a statistical fact.

Odd because of the preference of US citizens being stats freaks on baseball, elections, etc and then denying this stat with anecdotal examples from their own life.

Max, London , UK

Indians prefer to come to the UK because we speak English over here. USA is a great place to visit, and I like the people (fantastic SOH, bush for president?LOL) but I prefer to stay here with our rich cultural heritage, our string of Nobel prize winners. Remember the chips inside every IPOD are british, the Ipod was designed by a brit and guess what? The music on it is 90% british. The other 10% is some red-neck droning on about how he done bad by his woman. Paris Hilton is American, Croydon Bypass is british.

Elwin parsley, london , UK

I think this will be short lived once the slippage of the pound is taken into account.Our economy has been funded on consumer credit , and people releasing the equity in their homes brought about by the housing boom.Credit has now dried up and the housing boom has slowed, a recession is unfortunately inevitable,because that's what was sustaining our econmy not real growth.

Peres Dixon, Rochester, Kent, England

Britain is massively in debt, despite what the GDP figures might say. Personal debt is now running at some £1.3 trillion, and we have an abysmal trades deficit. What will the author say when thousands more lose their houses this year, I wonder? If house prices collapse like they are threatening to do, watch out for negative equity among Northern Rock and other mortgagees where "funny money" in terms of salaries was claimed in order to bolster massive advances.

Mike Mitchell, Spalding, England

As an American preferring to live in Britain, I know it's easier to live in the USA monetarily, but prefer the culture and beauty of England. Yeah, you have to do more with less, but it's a good lesson for Americans anyway. When I go back yearly to the Philadelphia suburbs, I wince at the big cars, the right wing way of thinking, the exorbitant monthly medical premiums my family and friends have to pay, the advertising .... In the end, it all evens out. My mum in the USA threw out her TV, it was a good choice. In the UK, you now must show a "green" value to your house when selling it; I think this is a brilliant idea and the USA should do it. When I visited a million USD show house in the USA I told the real estate agent about the "green" certificate and she was dumbfounded.... I find Americans very friendly, but alot are internationally naive due to the media probably. It's still sad to see the poverty and oppressed in the USA.... for such a wealthy country...

patty , Fetcham, Surrey

America is yesterday's economic superpower and now just the world's largest banana republic. Dollars are just monopoly money. Sell your house (ok, difficult as there are no buyers) and move to Asia.

Steve, London, UK

Seems to have hit a nerve with our American readers!

John Allen, Oxford, UK

Living standards or GDP per head? I'm confused? I wish I would have paid more attention to my macroeconomics course.

M, Milwaukee, USA

This is the most ridiculous and offensive artcical I have read all year and no one is gonna be fooled by it. Spare a thought for UK pensioners dying in their armchairs because they can't afford to heat their flats this winter.

carl, Nottingham,

Living standards in both countries are awful if what you value is freedom. The two countries are the most brainwashed and controlled in the World, these so called democracies are stitch ups by the establishment who control the media. Anybody who threatens the status quo are eliminated by one means or other. The money aspect is irrelevant if what you value is true freedom of thought and the ability to go about your life peacefully without interference from the state.

Scott, Bangkok, Thailand

What utter rubbish whoever came up with this does not obviously live in the same Country as I do,or is obviously a Labour Luvvie.Numerous amount of stealth taxes heaped onto us, NHS in crisis, Schools overcrowded by immigrants, Towns overrun by open boarders. We own nothing, Utilities sold off to Foreigners, Mr Brown sold the Gold, Robbed the pension pot , sold us down the river to the EU. Pensioners who have worked hard and saved for retirement penalised by Brown in favour of the Feckless. A Country with the Majority claiming Benefit and the amount of under 35's claiming incapacity benefit is a disgrace, the highest number of teenage single parents. Great Country, well it was until Labour got its hands on it .

June Sumner, Nottingham,

So Blair and New Labour have done a great job if these statistics are correct.

Bill Rees, Truro, Cornwall

The UK and the US are both fantastic countries, but in very different ways.

I do think though, that when Americans start commenting on how fantastic it is to be able to own a gun, serious questions must be raised. Priorities anyone?

Neither the UK or the US are perfect, but you can generally have a more intelligent conversation here about world issues, not just what's happening in the back "yard"....Ever heard of the big picture??

BenG, London, England

Goodness, hasn't this article got the septics all worked up! I'm loving the defensive cacophony. LOL!

HBR, London,

Once everyone's stopped bickering they might like reflect on the beginning of what appears to another New Labour 'narrative' - and just in time for the difficult economic times ahead, which off course aren't real.

Jonathan, Auckland, New Zealand

What has realy shocked me is not the article but the comments.

Could our American cousins please stop being so defensive.
All of your meaningless boasting is just embarassing to read.

Steve M, London, England

It's so much a part of the British character to insist that the country is doing badly that any contrary evidence is ignored. Does it not occur to anyone that high house prices are the evidence you would expect for a period of sustained economic growth.
The fact that visitors from the US find house and other prices high, is again exactly what you would expect if the UK had grown faster relative to the US. Its when you visit a poorer country that you find prices low.
While no survey can completely accurately reflect living standards what is interesting is that this one, which previously showed the US far ahead, now shows the UK in front. This suggests that a relative change has taken place over this period, irrespective of who is now ahead - which reflects my experience.
Whereas the British tend to insist that they must have worse living standards despite the evidence, americans tend to claim they must have better living standards, disregarding any evidence to the contrary.

C A, London UK,

Does this mean socialism makes us richer then?

Tom Taylor-Duxbury, Ludlow, UK

...and in addition to the news of the article, we are saddled with something far worse. We still have George Bush running the place farther in the ground.

Tom, North Brunswick, New Jersey

Kuwait sometimes exceeds the US in "per capita" income. So? An essential underpinning of "living standards" is freedom. Britain is indisputably far less free these days. Look, this is the cycle of the last century. 1. Europe mismanages things and blows up. 2. American troops save Europe from itself. 3. A generation passes. 4. Europe repeats the process. The only European peace in the last century was enforced by a huge American army in central Europe. Today that army has left, and Europe, for all the self-righteous gloss it tries to heap on itself, is again spiralling into the abyss. The time the problem is an apparent decision by Europeans not to reproduce or at least prevent an Islamic takeover-by-birthrate. I don't think we Americans can fix this one. And if we can't fix it, Europe is quite simply finished because the testimony of history is pretty simple: left to themselves, the Europeans will bollix it up. They always do. Some "living standards."

Scott, Chicago, Illinois, USA

I recently spent 2 years in the UK. I have a daughter who lives in the southeast of England. I can honestly say that the quality of life in the UK is no where even close to that of America. You can twist the numbers anyway you like, but there is just no comparison. I wish this wasn't so, but the average Brit is taxed to death. I can get a 2500 square foot home in Atlanta for what I can get an 800 SF one in SE England. All goods and service are cheaper. I used the UK health care system. I was shocked at the 20+ people crammed into a tiny OPEN WARD for routine hospital care. Their beds were 3 feet apart. You just don't see stuff like that in the US. I have a great deal of respect for the UK, but I hope American never gets into their type of situation.

Kevin, Atlanta, GA

Free health care? Free? Whats your tax rate? Free? Are you joking?

Nothing is free. You just bury the cost in taxes and while there I was amazed how much better service we got since we paid cash.

DT, Huntsville, AL, USA

"UK living standards outstrip US
Living standards outstrip those across the Atlantic for first time in over a century"

This headline is intentionally provocative and totally wrong!

Absolute GDP per capita might just possibly have been higher for a few days recently, but UK living standards are definitely not higher or even comparable. They are in fact significantly lower due to PPP arguments.

The timing and up-beat content of the article makes it look like HM Government propaganda to me...

Andrew Whiting, Paris, France

In reply to John from Kenosha, WI. what's air conditioner? in Britain we call it Hair conditioner and we have some of the shiniest hair in Europe!

Jenkins, Bristol, Blighty

This article makes me laugh. It acknowledges that the PPP for the UK is still much lower than the USA and yet that is probably what affects UK families the most.

I for one have lived in both countries and can honestly say the standard of living is far superior in the US and myself and British husband are counting down the days that we leave this overcrowded/divided/expensive country. After all the US doesn't have hoodies, a welfare culture or American born muslims that have tried numerous times to commit mass murder on fellow American citizens.

I for one prefer not to have 25 days holiday if it means I never have to encounter the above for the rest of my days.

Laura, London,

The UK strikes me as better if you're in the top 5% of the population, or alternately on welfare benefits. For someone at about the 60th percentile in income, most parts of the US (with the exception of the best areas in the biggest cities) are more affordable. Britain's salary-based wealth seems to be concentrated in and around London, with its high property prices and overcrowding. America's is spread around more, so house prices are lower and there is more open space.

Not that London isn't fun, but it does seem to be a difficult place to live. So is New York, of course, but New York is a lot less dominant relative to the rest of the country.

Otherwise, the two countries really do seem to be similar. Discussions like this one may reflect the "narcissism of small differences."

M.C., Washington DC, USA

The standard of living down here in Devon outstrips anywhere on Earth.

Adrian Guy, Tiverton , Devon

And still children starve in the UK.

Like glorious pieces of old furniture, the truth about Britain is revealed if you peek beneath the veneer.

Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire

If a respected Oxford Economics consultancy.put out such statement, that worries me. The correct way of comparing STANDARD of living is using the Purchasing Power Parity Adjusted income. According to CIA FACT 2006 estimate using exchange rate of 1.84 to 1, this ration is 1.21 (i.e. for the same incomg, what Brits can buy is 21% lower than what the same amount of money would buy in the US). Having a 2:1 exchange rate would take the ratio up around 10% to 1.33 to 1.

So £23,500 would buy the equivalent of £18000 worth of goods and services on average compared to what the an American could buy with his £23,250.
Standard of living here is about 30% lower.

But it is still an achievement I suppose to have raw income exceeding that of the US. But the title of the article needs to be corrected.

steven, Berkshire,

NM in MK wants to ask himself what parts of America these comparisons are being made with. I'd suggest that even for most of the UK outside London and the southeast, living standards have for a long time far outstripped Mississippi, South Dakota, Kentucky, parts of Alaska and even parts of Texas - and basically anywhere with a Native American community - not to mention the 50m Americans with NO healthcare provision whatsoever, who I'm sure would gladly trade their federal minimum wage of US $5.85 per hour for life in any British community (not to mention a US minimum wage of US $2.13/hour in any job that attracts tips !).

Chloe, London, England,

This is pure political hype. GDP does not reflect the living standards of a nation as a whole. "Living standards" is far too diverse and regional to be painted with a broad brush like GDP which is an overall ECONOMIC measure.

Report the GDP results, lose the headline hype.

Propaganda.............

SMT, Virginia, USA

And what about the UK education system? It's definitely not 'universal' and a right of all UK citizens. This is one area the UK will never match the US on, and without an educated citizenry, you will never outstrip the US. 50% of UK residents leave school without qualifications, and with literacy and numeracy levels that rival the Victorian era, a time when there was only elementary education. And without a better education system, you will always be inferior to the US.

F. Hoffman/US Citizen, Birmingham, UK

I am a US citizen with permanent residence in the UK where I have worked for many years. My wife is British and we spend some time each year in the States visiting my parents and our married children and teenage grandchildren. There is no doubt in my mind that our money goes much further in the USA -- BUT the quality of life is much higher in the UK. At our age we have private health insurance in the UK, but would probably find it too expensive in the USA.

Joe Feld, London,

One other BIG difference is that in America, we have the freedom to own GUNS. As a Jewess in the US, I can say we all put our 2nd Amendment FIRST!

Wendy Weinbaum, Dallas, Texas USA

HAHAHAHA! Yeah right. You're over-taxed, over-regulated, your NHS is a mess, people dying from INFECTIONS, people are pulling their own teeth, and you claim this!

Thanks for the laugh. BTW, I live in a state that DOES NOT tax my income, nor my military pension, and I have outstanding health care from my company. My kids even go to college for reduced rates as I'm a veteran.

GunnyG, Deerfield, USA

And with our depressed housing prices in the US, you'd ALL be welcomed--by me anyway!

AcrossPond, Lincoln, NE

Britain's economy is based on consumer credit. Look at the average debt per person. And look at our record balance of payments deficit. Sooner or later these facts are going to catch up.

D whitts, sheffield,

When I was a kid, in the mid 50s', the rent for a back-to-back, one up-one down was 8/6 per week (8 shillings and six pence -pre decimal, 42p approximately ), today, to rent something similar would cost £90.00 per week.

My wife's weekly state pension is £80.15 per week.

Who are you trying to kid?

Chas, Leeds, UK

I too fear that this will only serve to provide ammunition for the treasury to bombard us with new taxes - with the excuse that we can afford it because we have never had it so good. Ha.

Dominic Tattersall, Burnley, England

Here in depressed Detroit, where the state of the economy is the lowest in the US, 75% of the so called poor have: cars, TV, microwaves, A/C (which is not even needed this far north) and the biggest health problem their children face is obesity.

Bernie Smith, Detroit, MI

The headline is dishonest. It should be re-titled "Average Salary Per Head Outstrips U.S." Standard of living encompasses quality of life and buying power, not just higher average salaries. Taxes are so high and everything is so expensive in the UK, I should hope the Brits have higher salaries than Americans. Moreover, I'm a U.S. immigration lawyer and a disproportionate percentage of my clients are Britons. When I ask them why they want to move to the U.S., almost all of them give me the same two reasons: an extremely high cost of living and a feeling that they are foreigners living in their own country.

Michele Zamorano, West Palm Beach, FL / USA

Anyway, the Australians probably have a higher "median" general standard of living than do the Americans and have had for much of the past 10 years. Other smaller countries also probably do (Norway for example). Crude "averages" don't tell you how the figures are distributed across the population of a country - "median" (or "modal class") figures do (not perfectly so, but much more meaningfully.) 'Oxford Economics' will know that. They need to be more mindful of their reputation - and of how their work is reported.

G. Tayler (Ph.D Accounting & Finance), Huddersfield, UK

the Uk or america ,there is not quality of life compare to spain , france or italy,here in the Uk even to drink wine is a luxury ,the health system in england is behind ,plus you can get kill by bugs.The eat out another luxury and the food so artificial , of course england has good things too like the people and the history.

monica, london,

I wonder if the Oxford Economics Consultancy would like to comment on the comments on this article. Should make interesting reading.derek

derek, belfast, uk

One of the examples of the economic decline in many U.S. cities are the run-down city centers.

You'd expect better from, for example, Fresno, California.

As a traveler, I also noted how soulless the cities are in relation to most of Europe.

Maybe that is why the locals in most cities, such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, where genuinely surprised to see a backpacker from Europe.

Frances, Stuttgart, Germany

I love how people in Europe reach for the most meaningless stats to try and show they are near the level of the U.S.A.

If California were to become a country it would still be more economically powerfull than the UK. That goes for several other states.

Get over it people...America says "Jump" and the rest of the worl says "how high?" And that is the way we like it . So keep bringing out these little news articles if you like, I guess it makes you all feel better about your country.

Terrell, THE, U.S.A.

Believe it or not, we have a great health care system. I can call the doctor today, set up an appointment for tomorrow, go in, pay my $20 co-pay, head over to the pharmacy and pick up my $10 prescription and in a few days I'm back in the saddle. Yes, I have health insurance which my company pays a large portion of the premium. Before I got promoted to management I had to pay for my own insurance. Just like I had to pay my own mortgage and my own food bill and my own car note. Nobody has a RIGHT to free healthcare. NOBODY. If you want healthcare you have every right to buy it just like everyone else. If you are lazy or irresponsible and don't buy insurance, too bad. If you are poor or disabled you have welfare and medicare. Believe it or not, the overwhelming majority of those in America who don't have health insurance could afford it if they wanted to but they choose not to buy insurance and buy big cars and TVs instead. In life you make choices and you pay for them.

Kile Anderson, Baton Rouge, LA/USA

I think it's great that the UK economy is growing. However, it's silly to equate the GDP per person with standard of living. As so many have pointed out, standard of living is a question of what you can buy where you are.

Jeremiah, Fort Worth, Texas, USA

As a Brit in Washington DC yes the cost of living is half that of London, the taxes are embarrassingly low, people are generally friendlier and service is fantastic but there's still a segregation, the police are unnecessarily aggressive, frightening numbers of mentally ill and homeless are on the streets, shootings every week, 47 yes 47 million without healthcare, millions threatened with losing their homes due to the housing crisis, appallingly weak protection for the employee at work, virtually no vacation allowance, a shocking lack of awareness of green issues and a ridiculous paranoia about security. A low cost of living has a price.

big al, Washington DC, USA

Complete rubbish as the cost of living is over twice as high
in the U.K. GP is only part of the equation.
The U.K. is x 2.2 more expensive to live even in Canada

peter oakley, Duncan BC, Canada

In the end statistics like these matter only to politicians. On an individual level many people in Britain have trouble surviving from month to month, never mind the issue of buying a house. In the end both British and Americans should look at what they have in common. Profligate consumer spending fueled largely by debt. Governments also with high levels of debt and annual government deficits. The economic downturn in the next few years will most likely hit both American and British living standards hard. Reports like these will not matter a bit then.

David Lea-Smith, Edinburgh, U.K.

Ok, let's see this think tank compare the UK with California. Or London with Manhattan.

The USA is a vast country with huge regional variations. If I recall correctly California taken on its own has the worlds fifth largest economy.

I am pretty sure this report has not sufficiently accounted for the weak dollar and much lower prices in the US.

nick, reading,

Cost of living immeasurably lower in the US than in Europe.

Food, clothing, transport, PETROL are massively lower in the US. This in line with lower taxes makes it much cheaper to live in the US. Just don't get caught with health insurance.

How the richest country in the world cannot mandate a minimum level of care to its poorest is absolutely immoral.

Ed, Bangkok,

Don't North Americans have papers? Seems to me they all flock to the UK to read!

oliver, Brighton,

By purchasing power the UK is still behind th US, although in turn America is far from the No. 1 position itself. The really funny thing here is the absurd defensiveness this has triggered from many commontaters! And where are all these houses in the UK that apparantly have no central heating because I've never seen one???

One last point, some of us choose to live abroad to try something new rather than because we are unhappy with life in the UK. I had a perfectly fine standard of living on 25k a year.

David Williams, Beijing, China

Trevor in Leeds,

When I was an American cruising to a First in History at Oxford without breaking a sweat, we had a word for insecure English folk, like you, who needed to declare Americans total morons.

That word, was "douchebag."

Get over yourself and provide some back up to your vapid assertions before you make an ass of yourself again. I have degrees from Yale and Oxford and I can tell you first hand that the American students were far more impressive than the people I met at Oxford. FAR more impressive.

With love,

Dave in NYC

Dave in NYC, New York, New York, USA

This is a quick note to Jeff from Columbus. It is quite sad that you and your wife require 3 SUV's between the 2 of you. All I can think is the junk-food must be exquisite served up by economic immigrants on paltry wages that work long hours and are unable to afford healthcare.

Darren Porritt, London, England

What perecnt of the worlds food do we grow? Technology do we control /invent? Sheer military might that we have? I love the USA! We never stay down for long and when we make a come back everyone will wonder why they didnt invest in our stock markets and real estate!

Wes, Amarillo, Tx

I am a software engineer with 10 years experience. I make $114k per year. I work from home. I get 5 weeks vacation. I have 2-50 inch plasmas, my 3 kids have their own TVs and their own gaming systems. I have central heating /ac, 2 computers with flat screens. My smallest bedroom is 15'x13'. The master suite its own bath plus 2 walk in closets. It has a king bed with chairs and such. One closet I use as an office for convenience. I put 4k miles a year on my gas guzzler 4x4 truck - for vacationing only. I drive a 40mpg car for around town. I have almost no debt, besides my house. My house value dropped over $100 grand, but it is still up $100 grand from when I bought it. We usually have an abundance of every fresh fruit in season. We have top of the line everything (but only because I did most of the work myself). I have over 1000 square feet of basement with 9 foot ceilings. I have several acres of land with hundreds of feet of deck space. Can you do this in UK with 55K pounds salary???

Greg, New York, USA

One big advantage that Europeans have over Americans is that they don't waste as much money on their military as we do. With the US spending nearly as much on our military as the rest of the world combined it is surprising that we manage to have as good of a standard of living as we do.

The fact that the UK standard of living has passed ours is just another example of how our president is destroying our country.

Gary Maxwell, Lynnwood, USA / Washington

Having lived in and been educated in both the UK and US, I think the comments expose frightening dispositions. Most of the comments speak in generalizations, stereotypes and biases. I would venture that many of the Brits commenting have never traveled to the US or engaged in an extensive social study to support their arguments.

My point is to expose an unfortunate characteristic of Europeans--they define themselves compared to the US in almost everything. If US living standards shot above Norway, I somehow doubt our largest papers would bother running it, while the Times devoted substantial space.

As someone noted above, living standards are a statistic, can be manipulated, and don't really expose much reality--we are essentially uncomparable because our socio-political landscapes are so different. Petty arguing is pointless.

On a side note, I had to wait 8 months to simply get an appointment for a medical specialist in the UK. I gave up and flew back to the US.

Ian, Atlanta, GA, USA

how do we compare the standard of living when a person in london earning twice the so called average wage can not afford a single bedroom flat where as a person on half this wage in U.S.. can have a roof over his head in most of the large cities.
Lal ST.ALBANS, U.K.

LAL, ST. ALBANS, U.K.

Great, let England take our place as the Worldwide Policeman! Lets move the UN Headquarters to London! And finally with all do respect from a Yank who spent a fair amount of time in England, now that you have more money than us, fix your teeth!!!!

Rich Krajewski, Sutton, New Hampshire

UK living standards outstrip US?

Well they do say if you are going to tell a lie, then tell a big one!

This is just another pathetic attempt by the evil forces working against the British people to pacify them in to accepting to their current lot, which is nothing less than modern-day slavery. Of course they themselves bask in the profits of their actions and no doubt all sit around evenings after a hard day of treason and laugh at the indigenous British and tell jokes about how easy it was to subjugate and rob them in their own homeland.

Ian, Cambridge, England

Absolute rubbish.

I am a dual UK/US citizen spending time in both countries.

The cost of living is far lower in the USA, especially for the things that really count - housing (buying or renting), food, clothing, energy, transport and running a car. Furthermore, the quality of all these products and services is far higher in the USA, for, on average, half the cost. On the lighter side of life, eating out, bar prices, movies, holidays, and motels are less than half the UK costs with an infinitely higher standard of friendly service. Workers do get 2 or 3 weeks paid holiday, but only after 1 or two years service.

The big differential is, of course, health care. Although this is "free" in the UK, the annual tax we each pay for health care would buy an excellent medical insurance plan in the US which would provide far better care and service.

This is just another piece of spin designed to manipulate public opinion rather than provide good governance.

Peter Lloyd, BLACKER HILL/CLEVELAND, Yorks/Ohio

Intersting...But my wife and I can pretty much afford anything we want,within reason.No $1,000,000 yachts.But we vacation twice a year,own a big home,3 SUV's and lots of toys.

I have to question this stat.Like the article said,Brits and all of Europe for that matter.Pay alot more in taxes and other living expenses.That is until the democrats take over.God help us all when this happens.Can you say MASSIVE TAX HIKES!

Jeff, Columbus, OH USA

Apparently, Americans are still well ahead in defensiveness.

jon livesey, Sunnyvale, CA/USA

There are many factors as to why UK GDP per head will match and surpass that of the US, but surely it seems obvious that the intense weakness of the Dollar is the pre-dominant reason.

Nevertheless, it really measures very little other than our new found ability to invest abroad as US citizens have been doing for many years here.

My measure of a rich and wealthy nation is it's moral ability to provide it's hard-working citizens with a good health service that should be funded directly by the tax-payer for all without waiting lists, a stable society as free as possible from crime & a nation that encourages & rewards entrepreneurism.

High tax economies such as Germany, Sweden & Denmark are surely model economies providing far more sophisticated standards of living with high levels of education, excellent healthcare & where society is not polarised by those that have and those that are left to die in the street if you cannot afford the healthcare.

Darren Porritt - London

Darren Porritt, London, England

This is a message to Charles , Ipswich , Suffolk. Re your comments on moving, I would like to tell you about how good the standard of living and the quality of life is in NZ, having moved here 4 yrs ago. But then again when things are so much better, why would you want to spoil it by telling everyone else.....I use to think what I had was a reasonable standard of living, but looking back now , what I really had was no time or money to do anything because the cost of living was so high!

Do yourself a favour and get out while you can!

ps My brother moved to Canada in November.

dan, wellington, nz

To James Lovette-Black, San Francisco, California, USA:

Who's United States are you talking about??? I don't know about you, but everyone I know has a passport, travels a lot, and can take vacation whenever they want. They can also work as much as they want. If you failed university, then maybe what you say could apply, but it is not true generally.

Besides, "Progressive" is simply a well-known codeword for "Socialist." You probably want everything handed to you by the government and legislated for you so you won't have to work hard to get it. You probably want 4 weeks of paid vacation a year don't you and a 35 hour work week. Why don't you just move to Britain or, beter yet, France. And take both Obama and hte Hildabeast with you.

Dave, Phoenix, AZ, USA

1. Does Mr Smith believe what he has written?

2. What's "wealth equality," poster jez? Wealth and income generally follow with productivity. People produce unequally, very unequally. There's no logic to why a neurosurgeon, an engineer, and a drive-through cashier should have any particular degree of "wealth equality."

3. Compare the life of the average Briton and the average American with median-pay full-time jobs and decide for yourself about standards of living.

Bud, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA

Thanks to the attacks on our moral fibre by the Communists and the Socialists our society is going to the dogs. What can be done I do not know. Unfortunately we Americans are too wrapped up in playing Wii and watching Brittany dive into despair to pay attention to the man behind the curtain.

Tim, Manchester, USA

Having lived in Manchester, UK for a year in 2004, with a return trip in 2007, and having seen most of England from London north, I can tell you that the ivory tower is wrong. And anybody who has spent a large period of time in both countries will also disagree with the article. Yes, there are parts of England that meet or surpass the US some parts of the US, but there are massive parts of that country that England and the rest of the UK just isn't in the same league. A dollar just goes further than a pound - in every sector. In Canada our dollar is now on par with the Yankee buck, and it is still 20 to 30 percent cheaper south of the border. Stats are often not reflective of on the ground reality.

Jack Jardine, Victoria, Canada

As an American with progressive values, I have been saddened and frustrated by the last 30 years of right wing domination in our political landscape. I worked aggressively - as have many others - to curtail the rise of a frighteningly repressive worldview among our politicians, with little to show for it other than a faint glimmer of hope in the current federal election campaigning going on now between American Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Americans do not travel much and do not need passports because we don't travel much. The reason we don't travel outside the country as much as do other countries' citizens is that we have little holiday time and even that time comes out of accrued hours in a bank of "paid time off (PTO)" that includes time off for when we are sick. We have little in the way of health care or holiday time. There are massive constraints in American institutions to constrain progressive change and we are fighting to make those changes.

James Lovette-Black, San Francisco, California, USA

Having travelled extensively in the UK, Europe and Asia, I do believe it is true that most Americans' view of the world is overly parochial. This is primarily due to our poor news media and education systems. But it is also due to the fact that what goes on in the rest of the world is generally irrelevant to the average American's life. Foreign news media cover the USA extensively since the USA is 50% of the world's economy. American consumers have been the main drivers of European economic growth--and the only reason that their socialist economies are remotely solvent. As America sends more of its wealth to the Arabs and China, Europe should be very afraid. They might actually have to lower their own taxes to encourage domestic consumption and (gasp!) pay for their own defense! I, for one, would love to see the USA withdraw from NATO, the UN, the IMF and all the other "international" organizations for which we have to foot the bill.

Dave Emberson, Santa Cruz, California USA

Britain's economic progress was kick started by Margaret Thatcher and the Tories back in the 1980s. In 1979 we were a nation well on the way to third world status, with high taxation imposed by Labour. Brown will claim credit for the turnaround, but he has brought us a government that believes in high tax and spend again, the highest in Europe, and it will lead to the same problems as 1979 in the next few years. Hopefully Brown will be up for election when the consequences become apparent.

TG, Newark,

I'm not that bothered who has the highest per capita income. I find the main problem with the U.S.A is the staggering number of people of low intelligence. I don't think good quality dental care makes up for that.

Trevor, Leeds, UK

The comments on this article are far more illuminating than the article itself, and show us, better than any piece of journalism could, the mindset of the average American. Quite frankly, there isn't enough money in the world to pay me to live in a country where so many citizens hold such acerbic views of any country other than their own.
PS What would the average US citizen know about the rest of the world when most don't even have a passport? What a joke.

Olivia, Oxford, UK

The Oxford Economics consultancy has strong links with Gordon Brown and the Labour Party. Penny dropped yet?

Terry, Radstock, England

It seems dishonest or at least sloppy to equate GDP per capita with living standards, especially if we aren't told how that average wealth translates into real lives, ie the spread of wealth.

I think that Americans who think of big cars and air con (the one luxury most of the UK doesn't really want) are also being dishonest, because this article at least details a measurable trend.

For my part, I have lived on both very low and very high incomes. On a high income the world's your oyster wherever you are but on a low income, the taxes, fines (say you're earning £300 per week and on top of your other expenses you have to pay £200 to get your car realeased, and if you can't afford that you pay an astronomical cost per day of the council keeping your car, makes you cry) and absurd prices are a severe burden that make welfare an attractive option.

Clearly neither of us has much wealth equality so the comments here concerning who has it better are not generally helpful.

Jez, Manchester, UK

Based on a study from the dreamy spires of Oxford ! The government will probably swallow this, but the rest of us living in the real world don't believe that we have a higher standard of living than our friends in the USA.

Kevin Herbert, Greater Manchester, UK

All I see is that I pay £4.60 per gallon of petrol whereas the Americans pay £1.50

Phill, The Wirral, England

Per capita GDP used as a long term measurement is perhaps valid. However, the "left over" conditions of UK's lower GDP, are things such as living in smaller houses / apartments, relatively high taxes, more expensive fuels, small cars, lack of central heating/ AC, etc
Brits (retirees)are still opting to leave their country of birth for better cost of living areas of the world. (example, Spain,Portugal,US, Central America and Mexico)
As are other europeans.
I don't think you are going to see them rushing back any time soon.

C Williams, Savannah,, US

I've sent 1149 resumes these past 6 months; 12K+ resume, these past 8 years, with SIX, (6) months of employment to show for it! My so-called government says the national unemployment rate is a mere 5%!
I figure the actual unemployment rate for 'white, college-educated Americans', (my demographic), is closer to 15~20%; For 'Black, college educated', >30~40% Legal_workers of
Hispanic descent, , ('college or not'),>55%. I would 'guess
- timate' unemployment for illegal economic refugees, (excluding 'underage sex workers', for which there are few 'reliable' statistics in the U.S.), is about 3~4%. As a '1-World Trade Center' survivor, I have a LOT to say about George Usurper_Bush, but >90% of it would be of the
'Expletive_Deleted' variety!
I suppose he'll retire satisfied, (...with 'Cheshire grin', no doubt), if he can eradicate employment for ALL American citizens & get a conventional-progressing-to-Nuclear, (?'Nukalar'?), conflict started over Iran's non-existant W.M.D.'s.

R.G. Frano, A.C.L..S., Jersey City, NJ, USA

I am a U.S. citizen and lifetime resident. I have made the argument to a liberal (actually utopian communist) friend that the UK was harmed greatly by extremely high tax rates ( "1 for you, 19 for me") in years past. I am of the opionion that confiscatory taxation combined with unionism was a significant cause of the decline of British manufacturing, employment and resultant standard of living. He claims that the standard of living is better now due to the high tax rates. I am interested in the British perspective on this argument. (Probably as here, strong opinions on all sides of this!)

Doctor Oldsmobile, Detroit, Michigan, USA

More elitists economists weaving their web.
They told the Western countries that globalization was good for us, but in the USA we have lost millions of good paying jobs. I met a couple from the UK, I asked them if they had lost many jobs from globalization, and she said, "what jobs, there aren't any."
So, rather than squabble over what country has a higher standard of living, we need to make sure our governments keep our jobs in our own countries!

Bobc, Ky, usa

Gary from Florida,
You don´t seem to know what "per capita" means. Without "per capita" calculations it would be impossible to know the relative wealth of each nation, their energy consumption and such like.
Try making an economic comparison between China and Denmark (where I live) where we are only six million people.
It can only be calculated on per capita income and expenditure.

Nicholas Halsey, Silkeborg, Denmark

Bravo! Congratulations. Now, maybe, you can afford to buy central heating for your homes and air conditioning for your hotels.

Peter, miami, FL

The comparisons offered by Oxford Consultancy are utterly meaningless. - in part because they rely on an exchange rate of 2:1. More importantly the basics of life, food, clothing, entertainment and so on, are at least twice as expensive in the UK compared to the USA. For example, a "Dominos" take-out pizza for two in Farnham, Surrey cost $40 (at 2:1 exchange rate), compared to about $11 in the USA. We looked at buying some Christmas presents there, and frankly were shocked to find the whole range of products were simply far too expensive. Needless to say too, the quality of services are at best shabby and grudgingly offered.

O'Sullivan, Pawleys Island, South Carolina

what a joke this article is ...our living standards are too subjective to compare. might and well compare rhinocerous's with salad dressing..

zugerman, zurich, switzerland

his growth was made possible because of the rebuilding of the UK's economic foundations in the 1980s. Meanwhile, the masters of the U.S. economic universe -- the world captains of Finance -- have been rebuilding the U.S. foundation in other countries. Brutalist market economics need a set of core interests to benefit a nation and its people. The UK rediscovered core interests. In the U.S. the public has let the captains of Finance buy out core interests with temporary lifestyle comforts and political conceits. It is not just the mannufacturing flight to China, though that is part of it. It is the failure to exploit North Slope oil, and the failure to ensure sharing one way or another of the burden of global security from which so many others benefit (to their credit, the UK does more than nearly anyone else to contribute to this expensive effort).

D.C. al Fine, Boston, MA

Does this mean that we in the US won't have to continue to accept economic refugees from the UK and Europe? Believe it or not there are still poor deluded souls from the UK and Europe who are beating our doors down to get into the US to get high paying jobs and enjoy a US lifestyle. Does this mean that we no longer have to admit these people? After all they are doing so much better in their home countries than in the US. For their own good, why would we want to disadvantage them by allowing them to work in the US?

Patrick C., Irvine, CA

How can any organization compare Britian to the US?
The Us is about 230 million people, how big is the Uk . This report is like comparing apples to who know's what.

Gary, Boca Raton, Florida

As many have stated already, you need a much higher income in the UK to have a similar lifestyle in the US.
For me, the most hilarious thing here in the UK is the fact that almost no one has a real clothes dryer. We have one of those Euro-washers with an extra spin cycle- resulting in us having to dry our clothes on plastic racks all over our tiny kitchen, resulting in crunchy, stiff clothes and-- the best part--it only takes about 3 days to complete one load of washing and drying- since the sun shines only about 3 times a month here!

AmericaninLondon, London,

GDP per capita is one of those measurements designed to help politicians spin a good line.. It is of course complete and utter nonsense.

The last time I looked the UK didn't have a Microsoft, an Intel, an Apple, a GE or a Motorola and we certainly didn't have a Porsche, Mercedes, VW or Siemens... Nor actually did we have an Alcatel or a Renault.. Just a few examples of "real wealth" creators these apparently inferior countries have.

That apart I agree entirely with the view that the USA in particular provides better value for money in just about everything. I've been so many times I've lost count and believe me I wonder what on earth I'm still doing living here.

One of my sons - an aerospace engineer - is now working/living in Seattle..... He's never coming back and I don't blame him one little bit.

As the T shirt he sent his brother says David Smith is a " nice person - wrong planet"

DickW, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

You Brits don't have a 3rd world country on your border, with hordes of illegal’s simply walking across to do jobs for below the legal minimum wage. Every attempt to deal with the situation is fraught tooth & nail by the people exploiting the illegal’s. Usually they call anyone trying to deal with problem a racist, but like my sister the banking lawyer who has an illegal alien nanny for her kids, get some drinks in them and they’ll admit they simply don’t want to pay a living wage.

Brian, Cambridge, USA/MA

Interesting article since it reinforces the more fundamental nature of UK citizens and that is their inability to see the truth and propensity for "self delusion" whether it is about nonsence such as "global warming" or the fact that their country is in decline. The pinhead professors who come up with such outlandish propositions do little for their own credibility when a half a million UK citizens vote with their feet every year and leave. Is this the rising standard of living you are referring to? One thing that is a fact a fact and can be relied on however is the Anti American spin on most articles and studies which earnestly but dishonestly attempts to drive a wedge between or peoples and our countries with these comparisons. Unfortunately the comparisons in this study are the result of shameless analysis of the facts--the USA for all the resentiment has the highest quality of life in the world. Get over it!!! Why not try to adopt policies which will move you ahead.

T Eurosceptic, NYC, USA

The "Health Care" debate is a red herring. Few, if any, people in the US are denied health care - it's against the law to turn someone away who is seeking medical care. The issue is how to pay for it. Those of us with health insurance are paying for the uninsured now through higher premiums. So the real debate is whether to increase taxes to bring it all "above board" or to continue the current patchwork system. Bottom line is that health care QUALITY is better here than almost anywhere in the world.

And of course the REAL issue that's being ignored is the fact that regardless of who pays for it, medical costs are spiraling out of control. With technology keeping sick people alive longer, that trend can only continue.

Randall, Washington, DC

-On a Purchasing-power-parity basis, Norway and Luxembourg have by far the highest GDP.

-America, Canada, Switzerland, Austria and Denmark follow.

-The UK is next significanty ahead of France, Germany, and Italy.

Check out the ststistics on the OECD's website.

Rob, Paris, France

No doubt some politician will skew these figures to say that state pensioners are better off too. And that they are all to fat
so the food price increases are a good thing for them. So too with energy costs, it will keep the house tidy if coats are put on beds and you wear double clothes all day. Its all drivel talk if you compare it with the reallity of a cold winter and no money to combat it. Ironic isn't it, or so they say, before they walk
away.

John crawford, Bingley, England

Because the average wage earner's income has been stagnant in the USA for decades because of unequal distribution of growth, the average wage in Britain does now beat the average wage (as opposed to average income which is not warped by inequality) in the USA. Evidence this recent report:

http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=6369

Denis Drew, Chicago, USA

These types of comparisons are ridiculous. An individual's experience of life depends on where they get to sit when they experience it. Rich people tend to live 'well' wherever they are. For many Europeans our cultural heritage and what it has produced matter a great deal and form part of the mix. So does the welfare system which we pay a great deal for. The downside is we have big government and a nanny state mentality. Europe and the US both have lots of positive and nagtive points - how they balance out is a different matter. Having a big car, or lots of big cars, and living in a big house may matter to some but these things can't be taken in isolation. These discussions also tend to marginalize the larger issues such as the effects of poverty and climate change. What's the point of living in a beautiful house with lots of material things if we end up creating a huge number of people determined to destroy our way of life and governments who erode our liberty as a result.

Chris, London,

Since when did GDP and standard of living mean the same thing ! David Smith may well be correct in stating that Britain's GDP is set to overtake the US but that has very little to do with the standard of living let alone quality of living. Even if GDP is on a par with the US, because of the tax take by the Labour government in the UK, the actual spending power in Britain is significantly lower than that of America. In addition, food is cheaper and fuel costs even at a high of $3 a gallon is only a third of Britains $10 a gallon. My daughter bought a 2 bedroom house last month for $100,000 in Illinois and I'd challenge anyone in Britain to find a similar house for less than twice that amount even in the sink estates of Labour strongholds. Finally, before anyone talks of the free NHS in the UK, its not free, its deteriorating at a rapid pace and many treatments are being denied over cost.

Mike, Alicante, Spain

Yes, and Iceland is a very cold and bleak place - you'd never like it there.

So, to those millions of Muslims looking to emigrate somewhere, please choose the UK. You will be much happier, safer, healthier, and richer there than in the US.

You don't have to take my word for it - statistics don't lie.

Mike, Washington, D.C.

Ted you're spot on. I moved to London from California 2 years ago. The salary is very comparible, after the currency conversion. That being said, the cost of living is almost twice in UK. In London we pay 4 time more for Petrol, at least 2 times more for a restaurant meal or fast food run.

Compounding this with the 40% tax bracket and getting absolutely nothing back in tax return at the end of year, the standard of living in UK is far lower than US. In US you could tax deduct mortgage interest and property depriciation, so end of the year you end up paying around 20% - which is half as much as what you pay in London.

Paaras, London , UK

Keep on dreaming... as an American who has lived here a number of years (for work reasons) as well as around the globe, I think you should be comparing the living standards in this country with some third world countries (no offence), and you will see that in some cases the U.K. does not even compare, I am talking about public transportation, hospitals... pick your example. I also agree with one of the comments that that you need a LOT of money to have an average life here... you want better standard of living take the Eurostar to France and take notes... Maybe they don't look as flashy but everyone lives withing their means and prices are more or less normal, as opposed to getting ripped off at every corner in London (£4 = $8 for a single train trip?). Why the obsession of comparing the U.K. with the U.S. anyway, it's like comparing a lantern with the sun... whatever...

BJ, London,

Gordon must be funding this study because it is absolute rot...and to pluck an exchange rate of USD2 is unsustainable. Anyway we should be comparing ourselves to Ireland, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Finland etc...not such good reading on this basis. Any opportunity for sustained long term growth has been frittered away by the incompetance and inefficiency of the state which spends an increasingly large portion of our income and which cannot be switched off.

Simon, London,

Funny how a lot of americans take everything personally and think that everything is about them! This is an article about the UK and it's not aimed at belittling the US economy. Still some "patriots" have creeped out of the woodwork to shout out that their country is better than the UK. Just the sheer pettiness of their remarks makes any decent debate impossible! You are not being patriotic, you are just acting like 5 year olds in the playground: "Mine is better than yours"
That aside though, statistics once again don't show the facts. I take it that by average incomes the study means they took all the incomes of everyone and got the average. That means that you can take 2 people, one earning £50K and the other £10K and come out with an average of £30K for each person! I know a lot of people who don't earn more than 15K and even more people who earn less than 20K. Having people with overblown wages in London just raises the average GDP in paper but it doesn't mean we are all better off

Alex K, Manchester, UK

I'm Married to a Scottish Girl and lived in Scotland this last summer and I found gas, food ,auto insurance,home repair,over the counter drugs,car's,Resturant' and every itam of compared was higher than the U.S.You can buy a house for 250,000.00 Pound's In the U.S. you can have a castle

R Herring, port st joe, fl

Boy did this article wake up our American readers...don't ever say, write or promote the idea that the US of A is in decline! They have cars bigger than the average semi in the UK writes Dick from RI (not a RI red we presume) I do agree with most comments here that quality of lifestyle is visibily higher in the US but things are changing and its the influence of America that is diminishing forget the UK think of China and India or even Europe (inc UK). Those big ugly American cars are on their way out, Americans are waking up to that and they sell them nowhere else - yet they still make 'em.

Vince Wilson, Cortona, Italy

After visiting the states on holiday for the past 15 years I can confidently say I would rather be the botom end of the income scale in the UK than the states.

It would be interesting to see what proportion of the population in the states live below the government prescribed "poverty line"

I earn above the avarage and I know that if I were to have the same income in the states then my standard of living woud be considerably higher, but I would live in fear of having a severe fall in income.

Poor in the US is fundamentaly different to poor in the UK.

CO, Liverpool,

Absolutely garbage. Total, delusional nonsense. First, you've got a statistical anomaly due to the Pound-Dollar exchange rate; then, you're equating GDP with standard of living. The UK has the lowest quality of life in Western Europe, bar none. Just because "on average" GDP is higher doesn't mean anything.

What a rubbish article.

Voland, Caen, France

Does anyone still have any respect for economists when this is the kind of rubbish they come out with?

hzh, Oxford,

GDP is one thing but as the article points out, pricing is relevant and so are tax levels. Our price levels in the UK are exceptionally high (despite the very strong pound) and wealth-transferring taxation is miles above the US level. (Just look at fuel or VAT at 17.5% compared with 7 or 8% of sales tax). Of course we are transferring part of our VAT to poorer EU countries, but that's the price we agreed to pay for market access.

A better measure of the living standards of the UK would be to compare on a PPP basis the post tax income of median earning families. That would be clearer than the straight GDP figure and I doubt if it would be very favourable because of the large social wealth transfers in the UK. Put simply, the middle class in the US keeps more of its income and enjoys much lower price levels than those in the UK. But the US poor can't afford health care...

Of course there are also qualitative aspects (much more space, larger houses etc).

Colin , Shrewsbury,

I'm glad that the majority of comments realize that measuring "living standards" by gross domestic product per capita is absurd. Good for the readers to see through this numbskullery!

Jim, Indianapolis, IN

What a pointless and misleading report! So for one millisecond the UK had a higher living standard than the US. But the comparison is already out of date due to subsequent more recent events like the oil price hike.

Unfortunately this report will now be picked up Brown & co to throw back at us as another example of NuLab's success. An economic report should at least have some degree of longevity!

Mike, Reading, Berks, UK

I live in a small shoe-box on the outskirts of London. Apparently, if I were to sell, it would raise enough cash to buy a 3 bedroomed detached house almost anywhere in the US.
I am seriously considering the option.

colin, london, englanistan

This article is rubbish. The real average wage in the UK is low and that includes London and the South East. After all how can the service sector afford to pay such high wages. Property prices all across the Uk are too high. We pay huge taxes. All services are extortinate. In some ways we are similar to the USa were we have a massive underclass but in the UK we have cut the unemployment totals by introduing incapacity benefit. Britian is rife with a drug and crime culture that is right across the UK, unlike the US where these social problems tend to be centered in specific areas. The cost of living in the UK is exceptionally high, if I could afford it and the USA or Canada or New Zealand would accept me as an asylum seeker I would be there straight away as the UK has become unbearable.

Charles , Ipswich , Suffolk

This sort of 'analysis' is entirely pointless unless it controls for purchasing-power differentials, which are huge when comparing standards of living in the US and the UK. Comparing GDP per capita tells us very little, and we do not have to conduct a comprehensive household survey to work out that the marginally higher per capita GDP in the UK still translates into a materially lower standard of living.

AG, Oxford, UK

@Guy

An oldie - but it still makes me laugh! By the way, it's probably just as true today...

Jules, Loughborough, England

Nonsense! This is a statistical anomoly due to the unusual exchange rate. The purchasing power of the pound is closer to 1.4 dollars, not 2 dollars. Checking my economist book of stats for 2007, the UK per capita purchasing power is 76% of the US purchasing power. That's the crucial figure. That said, I have worked in the US and although the material standard of living is significantly higher than in the UK people in the US don't seem to have as much time to enjoy their wealth. With only an average 2 weeks vacation a year and a longer working week than in Britain I would encourage our American friends to take life a bit easier and be a little more lazy like us! You can afford it and anyway, money isn't everything!

Ted, London, UK

Forgot to add that gas costs $10 per gallon!! No wonder we drive a car in which is the size of a postage stamp!

A Jeans, Oxford, UK

As an American who has lived in the UK for 12yrs (I have a British husband with 2 children) I feel that I am in a good position to comment. As with both the UK and US if you have a LOT of money the lifestyles in the UK and US are pretty equivalent - we privately educate our children, we use private healthcare when necessary (my husband is a Doctor),etc... Just like in the US I went to private schools and had great health insurance. You do, however, need MUCH more money in the UK to live the equivalent lifestyle in the US. I think people on average wages really feel the pain in the UK. The taxes are much higher in the UK and "free" healthcare comes from taxes - most people would be better off paying healthcare premiums then their taxed contribution to a "free" system that is a zipcode lottery. Also, house prices - where I live you can't buy a 1200 sq ft house for under $800K (ridiculous!!) Nevermind the political correctness - muslims in sainsbury's can refuse to sell alcohol!

A Jeans, Oxford, UK

What the headline should really say is 'London and Southeast Living Standards Outstrip US'.

In the other 80% of Britain, living standards are in no way comparable to the US. They are far inferior.

NM, MK, UK

Our family has just returned from the States and I can tell you that this article is wrong. Almost everything we bought cost half the price it would in the UK. People lived in better accomodation and owned better cars. Eating out etc was cheaper and the service was better too. There were no 'hoodies' and plenty of cops. OK, so the US still has the profit driven medical insurance system in place and we did find it unusual that so many of the people we encountered had a limited knowledge of the rest of the world - but the States beats the UK on 'availability' & 'accesibility' on every count.

Crashing Dashing Kid, Paris, France

Utter twaddle

I'm a UK citizen writing to you hard pressed Brits from Oregon on the NW Pacific coast and I can most definitely assure you, people here have a far superior quality of life and are considerably wealthier here than they are in the UK. And it is real wealth, not wealth accumulated on credit cards and dodgy mortages

Mattstarooni, Astoria, Oregon

This type of article is a source of amusement for me. Its highly unlikely that this kind of statistic translates into many examples in the real world. However, we brits would read it and pay it little regard, what ever way round the statistic was. Not our US cousins though...its like a junior school conversation: yea? 'well we have bigger cars, and we have air con and we have a wonderful foreign policy oh and we invented sub prime'. Good luck with that economy of yours this year.

DannyBlue, London, UK

U.S. taxes are actually higher for those of us who live in the communist states like California. We pay federal income tax of 35%, plus medicaid taxes of 1.5%, plus California income tax of 9.5%, plus California sales tax of 7.75%, plus California property taxes much higher than council taxes (about 1.2% of property value each year), plus various "user fees". And the federal income tax rate reverts to 39% in 2010. The poor here pay almost no taxes, and the wealthy pay reduced federal income taxes of only a 15% "capital gains" and investment rate. DEAR GOD, PLEASE SEND US A MARGARET THATCHER TO SAVE US FROM THESE DAMN COMMUNISTS!

David, San Diego, California USA

I lol'd when I read the title. Maybe income per capita outstripped US but living standards.. no.

Michael, Charleston, SC

Maybe so, but how's the access to "free" British medical care? You know, here in the states, if I want a full-body MRI simply because I want one, I can have it done tomorrow. How long does it take in the U.K. even when it is necessary? If I want elective surgery, I can pretty much have it done ASAP, no waiting. How long does it take over there? "Free" is not accurate since there is actually a cost of having to put up with an archaic and dangerous system which may be on its last legs if what all the residents are complaining about is true. If "free" treatment is not immediately available, then there is the cost of potential complications due to inadequate access to "free" medical care. If "free" means taking a chance on acquiring a lethal nosocomial infection due to the present state of British medical facilities, then I'll be more than happy to stick with my "not-free" first rate medical provided here in the states (or maybe travel to India).

And US taxes are far too high!

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

Congratulations you Brits. I knew our social policies would take us into a nosedive, but I never thought we would pass you on the way down.

Carl LaFong, Tucson, USA/Arizona

Most americans drive cars bigger than the average UK semidetached. They don't resort to home dentistry self taught either. Wonder where the US standard would be if we stopped passing out foreign aid by the billions? Good money, off the top, and most of it ending up in Swiss bank accounts to support last years human rights advocates in some Godforsaken backwater.

Dick Tuck, warwick, RI

We have once again proven that you can mismanage an economy just so long, print too much money, ruin education and let government employees unionize and elect skunks to Congress before the day of reckoning looms.

Adrian Vance, Lakeport, , USA, California

Who cares if GDP per head is higher in the UK? Have you ever been there? The American standard of living is higher. Things like air conditioning are rare in the UK! Is that not a lower standard of living?

John, Kenosha, WI USA

So true! A man can't walk half a mile on America's coastline without encountering haggard, middle class families building boats they hope will carry them to your shores. In our spare moments we avidly study Arabic and Sharia Law so we can seamlessly integrate ourselves into British society.

Steve, Seattle, USA

Uh huh....that explains why there is a record number of Brits leaving the UK, with plenty of polls showing the disatisfaction of UK residents with their home country.

An an ex-pat now in the 7th year living in the US, I can confidently state that my life, standard of living, general well being and expectations for the future are significantly better here.

There are a few sentences about the reality of house prices, the GBP strength, dollar weakness and the fact that one pound does not buy nearly as much the equivalent in dollars would buy here. In short, getting ahead in the UK is still as hard as it was 10 years ago, except there's better marketing.

Catherine, Atlanta, USA

Just shows what Bush has done. Let the US implode - we'll all be safer. The 21 century belongs to Asia, so who cares about the Great Satan?

Dave, Singapore,

ah, ah, ah, ah,...........ah, ah, ah, ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cory, Miami Beach, USA / FL

Hah! This is a ridiculous conclusion, as anyone who has spent time in both countries knows. Oh, just a few small points. ... Americans pay lower prices for goods and services, their taxes are lower, and they don't have to pay for a 'free' medical service which anyone who can afford it bypasses. Let's not forget to mention also the hundreds of greater conveniences of life in the US. The fact that Brits even trumpet this meaningless statistic shows that it is false.

John De Cew, Fairfield, CT

A friend of mine who lives in England had to wait 2 years for his mom to have eye surgery. He didn't want to wait that long, so he flew his mom to India so she can get the surgery she needed before she becomes blind. It's not really free either, people pay taxes for this so called free healthcare.As for America's standard of living lower, what rubbish. I know nurses in the UK who can barely survive sharing an apartment with 4 others, while nurses here in the USA makes good money, own their own home and a luxury car. Same in the IT fields and engineers where contractors in the USA can make $200/hour or more depending on their specialty. In my company, we have so many Indian engineers wanting to come to the USA and prefer to come to the US compared to the UK because of more opportunities, better opportunities, and advance technologies and research. Why does UK always feel the need to compare to the USA, is it because of insecurities?BTW-Oxford isn't #1 anymore,Harvard is #1 in the world

Ann, Pasadena, CA, USA

You have to be fairly delusional to think that living standards are higher in the UK...quite rightly the purchasing power aspect is the key thing here and the price of property isn't even mentioned. Taking this into consideration, living standards and what you can get for those mean salaries the standard of living in the US far outstrips that in the UK.

Tom, Melbourne,

You can do anything with figures. Just go and see what sort of house £400,000 will buy you in most of the US. Also go and see the price of their new vehicles and their average household bills and taxes compared with ours. Once you've done that then tell me whose better off! Give me the US any day, on my salary I'd be far far better off in New England or New York state than Surrey. To have a comparable US lifestyle here in the UK I'd need at least three times the income, then some!

Bob Mileham, Chertsey, Surrey UK

What about dental care?

Guy, NYC,