And finally, financial data. Top table is alphabetical, there are others sorted by expenditures, socialization, healthy life expectancy, and infant mortality. US used to be right at the bottom until I added more countries, particularly Portugal (poor) and Denmark (too many dairy-fed heart attacks?) Taken from http://www3.who.int/whosis/core/core_select.cfm %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) Exchange PPP rate Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% halfUS 3,048 3,048 %GDP is %GDP spent on total health expenditures HLE Healthy Life Expectancy at birth (aka HALE but I wanted narrow columns) (1) "Average exchange rate" health spending per capita (2) "International dollar rate". aka PPP (3) gov't health spending/total health spending (4) My calculation: %GDP in *private* health spending, %GDP*(1-%govh). Useful for adding to taxes for a total tax+health burden, e.g. Americans pay less taxes but more in premiums. Analysis: graphs or regression curves would help, but just from eyeballing, we can see a lack of tight correlations. The most socialized countries at at the top and bottom of the HLE scale. Japan and Sweden, which top both socialism and HLE, differ in total tax burdens (data not shown(5)) with Japan being close to the US and Sweden most burdensome. Australia and the Dutch are relatively less socialized but more and less healthy. Actual spending is not tightly correlated with health, with Germany not doing as well for its money as Sweden while Italy and Japan don't spend much for their health. Given Greece vs. Denmark, lifestyle is probably a factor in HLE. Infant mortality seems to track overall social development more closely, with Japan and Finland on a spending par with Greece and Italy but doing much better. (See final table.) Conclusion: it's not clear who we should or can imitate but we should clearly stop imitating ourselves. I'd guess Canada, Australia, and Sweden have similar diets (in marked contrast Spain or Japan) to us and for Canada and Australia similar lifestyles. Australia seems strictly better than Canada; Sweden lives even longer and may or may not spend less, depending on the exchange rate used. The UK is a poor model (maybe because they hardly spend anything; good at saving money!) but the degree of socialism itself does not seem to be the problem, which was my main point: "socialized" (often meaning the government simply pays, like Canada or Medicare, vs. running the whole system like Britain or the Veterans' Affairs) medicine certainly can work, better than the US. (5) http://images.forbes.com/media/2006/05/Overall_Tax_Burden_Governemt_Spending.pdf Sorting by $US(1) exchange rate %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% halfUS 3,048 3,048 Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% Sorting by $US(2) PPP %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% halfUS 3,048 3,048 Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% Sorting by %govh %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% Sorting by HLE-M (note the US is almost a full year behind the next country. And we actually manage to be half a year ahead of someone... the poorest country on the whole list, which has a GDP/capita (PPP) under $20,000, vs. US $44,000) %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Sorting by HLE-F (note Japan's 2.4 year lead! The US avoids the bottom again, by a very slim margin, though also more overall company. Poorestugal has pulled ahead again.) %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% Sorting by infant mortality (other tables don't have this because I integrated this data much later. I need a spreadsheet.) %GDP $US(1) $US(2) %govh(3) HLE-F HLE-M %GDPprivh(4) IM(6) Sweden 9.1 3,532 2,827 84.9% 74.8 71.9 1.4% 2.76 Japan 7.8 2,823 2,293 81.3% 77.7 72.3 1.5% 2.8 Iceland 9.9 4,413 3,294 83.4% 73.6 72.1 1.6% 3.27 France 10.5 3,464 3,040 78.4% 74.7 69.3 2.3% 3.41 Finland 7.4 2,664 2,202 77.2% 73.5 68.7 1.7% 3.52 Norway 9.7 5,405 4,079 83.5% 73.6 70.4 1.6% 3.64 Germany 10.6 3,521 3,171 76.9% 74.0 69.6 2.4% 4.08 Switzerl 11.5 5,572 4,011 58.5% 75.3 71.1 4.8% 4.28 Spain 8.1 1,971 2,099 70.9% 75.3 69.9 2.4% 4.31 Denmark 8.6 3,897 2,780 82.3% 71.1 68.6 1.5% 4.45 Australia 9.6 3,123 3,123 67.5% 74.3 70.9 3.1% 4.57 Canada 9.8 3,038 3,173 69.8% 74.0 70.1 3.0% 4.63 Dutch 9.2 3,442 3,092 62.4% 72.6 69.7 3.5% 4.88 Portugal 9.8 1,665 1,896 71.6% 71.7 66.7 2.8% 4.92 UK 8.1 2,900 2,560 86.3% 72.1 69.1 1.1% 5.01 Ireland 7.2 3,234 2,617 79.5% 71.5 68.1 1.5% 5.22 Greece 7.9 1,879 2,179 52.8% 72.9 69.1 3.7% 5.34 Italy 8.7 2,580 2,414 75.1% 74.7 70.7 2.2% 5.72 US 15.4 6,096 6,096 44.7% 71.3 67.2 8.5% 6.37 Israel 8.7 1,533 1,971 70.0% 72.3 70.5 2.6% 6.75 Here, the top countries are Nordics apart from Denmark, plus France, plus Japan. The first two groups all have aggressive socialized day care and such, AFAIK. Japan I don't know about, maybe lots of mothers staying home, though I don't know if say Portugal or Greece is any different. As noted, Japan is spending about as much as Greece and Italy, less than Ireland, and way less than the US. I guess the vaunted Mediterranean diet doesn't magically keep babies alive so well... (6) Infant mortality as deaths per 1000 live births, data from the CIA.