If It Were My Home

[Catty1]

Saw this neat site link on Pundit Kitchen, part of the Cheezburger network.

If you live in the USA, you can click another country to see what living there would be like compared to where you live.

http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/

One stat - if you lived in Canada, you'd earn about 17% less but spend about 45% less on health care. Oh, and you'd use more oil and electricity here too (hey, it gets COLD!)

Have a boo and see what you think.

ETA: It seems to use the USA as the 'home' country, but is still interesting and informative.

[Randi]

Wow, that's interesting, but not sure I believe the part about being employed - at least not if you're past 55. People also seem to get more babies these days.

I bet there are huge differences from one state to another in the US, though.

Denmark:

have 53.76% more chance at being employed Denmark has an unemployment rate of 4.30% while The United States has 9.30%
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs.
Source: CIA World Factbook

use 50.19% less electricity The per capita consumption of electricity in Denmark is 6,219kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.
This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Source: CIA World Factbook


consume 45.48% less oil Denmark consumes 1.4392 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400
This entry is the total oil consumed in gallons per day (gal/day) divided by the population. The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Source: CIA World Factbook


experience 35.56% less of a class divide The GINI index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income. In Denmark is 29.00 while in The United States it is 45.00.
This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.
Source: CIA World Factbook


have 30.13% less chance of dying in infancy The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Denmark is 4.29 while in The United States it is 6.14.
This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Source: CIA World Factbook


have 24.8% less babies The annual number of births per 1,000 people in Denmark is 10.40 while in The United States it is 13.83.
This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook


make 22.41% less money The GDP per capita in Denmark is $36,000 while in The United States it is $46,400
This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
Source: CIA World Factbook


spend 43.85% less money on health care Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in Denmark are $3,773 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD
This entry contains the per capita public and private health expenditure at purchase power parity using US Dollars. This figure combines government, personal, and employer spending on health care
Source: World Health Organization


have 13.8% more free time Employed persons in Denmark work an average of 1549 hours each year while persons in The United States work an average of 1797 hours
This entry contains the total number of hours worked over the year divided by the average number of people in employment.
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development


be 66.67% less likely to have HIV/AIDS The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Denmark is 0.20% while in The United States it is 0.60%.
This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
Source: CIA World Factbook


live 0.23 years longer

[pomtzu]

That's interesting - thanks for posting.

I checked a lot of different ones. It looks like the U.S. takes the top prize for what is spent on healthcare. I've heard that you get what you pay for tho....

[kittycats_delight]

If Italy were your home instead of The United States you would...

use 56.56% less electricity
The per capita consumption of electricity in Italy is 5,423kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.
This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Source: CIA World Factbook

consume 55.11% less oil
Italy consumes 1.1850 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400
This entry is the total oil consumed in gallons per day (gal/day) divided by the population. The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 42.08% less babies
The annual number of births per 1,000 people in Italy is 8.01 while in The United States it is 13.83.
This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook

make 34.7% less money
The GDP per capita in Italy is $30,300 while in The United States it is $46,400
This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
Source: CIA World Factbook

spend 60.84% less money on health care
Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in Italy are $2,631 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD
This entry contains the per capita public and private health expenditure at purchase power parity using US Dollars. This figure combines government, personal, and employer spending on health care
Source: World Health Organization

experience 28.89% less of a class divide
The GINI index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income. In Italy is 32.00 while in The United States it is 45.00.
This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 19.35% more chance at being employed
Italy has an unemployment rate of 7.50% while The United States has 9.30%
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 11.89% less chance of dying in infancy
The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Italy is 5.41 while in The United States it is 6.14.
This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Source: CIA World Factbook

live 2.09 years longer
The life expectancy at birth in Italy is 80.33 while in The United States it is 78.24.
This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
Source: CIA World Factbook

be 33.33% less likely to have HIV/AIDS
The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Italy is 0.40% while in The United States it is 0.60%.
This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
Source: CIA World Factbook

More Information about Italy

With its 58,090,681 people Italy is the 23rd largest country in the world by population. It is the 71st largest country by area with 301,340 square kilometers. Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist dictatorship. His alliance with Nazi Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has been at the forefront of European economic and political unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.

[cassiesmom]

If I lived in the Cayman Islands... I'd have 57% more chance at being employed, use 19% less electricity, live 2.3 years longer, consume 5% less oil and make 5% less money.

Works for me! I'd take a 5% pay cut to spend time at the beach!

And I'd consider moving to Canada to spend almost 50% less on health care.

[pomtzu]

And I'd consider moving to Canada to spend almost 50% less on health care.

Nah - you'd better not - not from what I hear are waiting times in some hospitals, and for elective surgeries and diagnostic procedures. I'll wait for weeks, but not months - or longer!
I complain about what I have to pay too, but I think I'll keep our system.

[Edwina's Secretary]

The quality of healthcare is measured, not by how much you pay for it, but how well it works. Things like infant mortality, life expectancy, HIV/AIDS rates are the measures of quality.

Looks like alternatives that appeal to me...Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany - all have better healthcare, more free time, MUCH lower healthcare costs but with the tradeoff of lower wages.

Hmmmmm....

[pomtzu]

The quality of healthcare is measured, not by how much you pay for it, but how well it works.

Works for me!!!!
And considering some of the horror stories that a Canadian friend relays to me, I know I'm definitely staying put!

[Edwina's Secretary]

How very fortunate you are! Sadly, I know of many who are not as satisfied - in the US and have heard plenty of horror stories as well.

And I know many who are very satisfied with the Canadian system as well as the systems in other countries.

I go with facts - not feelings when it comes to how well my money is spent.

But again, I am very happy for you that you are satisfied with the US healthcare.

[pomtzu]

How very fortunate you are! Sadly, I know of many who are not as satisfied - in the US and have heard plenty of horror stories as well.

And I know many who are very satisfied with the Canadian system as well as the systems in other countries.

I go with facts - not feelings when it comes to how well my money is spent.

But again, I am very happy for you that you are satisfied with the US healthcare.

Yes, I'm certain that there is good and bad in all systems, regardless of our geographical location. There is room for improvement everywhere.

But I also know that if I need surgery or tests, I don't have to wait a ridiculous amount of time for it. When I hear of waiting times for something as routine as cataract surgery, or a knee replacement or such, in some other countries, I am quite flabbergasted, especially when I know that I can have it done in a matter of weeks, and not have to wait months and months on a long waiting list.

[Edwina's Secretary]

You are indeed fortunate in your healthcare.

Unlike the over 50 million people in this country who do not have medical insurance.

Or those who do not have very good insurance. Or who live in parts of the country where there is inadequate availability. Or are poor.

Long waits for services are not uncommon here in the US. Especially if you are uninsured or underinsured.

And by objective measurements such as longevity, infant mortality, etc. we pay the most money but don't get our money's worth.

I guess it comes down to which is worse - anecdotal long waits for non-emergency services or higher infant mortality? Shorter lives but less wait time for non-emergency services?

Like you I have access to good healthcare. How lucky we are!

[wombat2u2004]

Wow !!! I just did a Aussie/USA comparison.
I'll stay right where I am thanks.

[dab_20]

Wow !!! I just did a Aussie/USA comparison.
I'll stay right where I am thanks.

That's what I just looked at. I think I'll pack my bags and move to Australia, thank you very much!


I did a comparison to Afghanistan. I was surprised. If I lived there, I would die 33 years sooner!