Americans have long been fascinated with global rankings. Where do we stand? How do we compare with other nations? We like to imagine ourselves as No. 1: the national equivalent of the racing halfback who raises his forefinger as he crosses the goal line. Common sense says otherwise. We excel in some things and not in others. The latest evidence of this comes from a massive report that collected indicators on a wide range of well-being — from incomes to leisure time — for most advanced countries.
On some indicators, the United States does rank No. 1. Average after-tax household income (including both cash and noncash government transfers) totals about $40,000; Norway is next highest at nearly $35,000. Among 29 countries of the OECD, the average is $27,630. But the United States is also near the top in income inequality; this means that middle-class Americans don't do quite as well as the average suggests.
What do Americans get with their extra income? More housing, for starters. In both the U.S. and Canada, the average house has nearly 2.5 rooms per person, substantially higher than the OECD average of about 1.7. Italy, South Korea and Estonia have less than 1.5. Although U.S. homes are larger than their foreign counterparts, Americans spend less of their incomes on housing (about 17 percent) than most other nationalities. The OECD average is about 20 percent.