Thursday, July 17, 2008

Development: US fails to measure up on 'human index'

· Nation slumps from 2nd to 12th in global table
· Richest fifth take home $168,000, poorest $11,000


Ashley Seager
The Guardian, Thursday July 17, 2008

"Despite spending $230m (£115m) an hour on healthcare, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed country. And while it has the second-highest income per head in the world, the United States ranks 42nd in terms of life expectancy.

These are some of the startling conclusions from a major new report which attempts to explain why the world's number-one economy has slipped to 12th place - from 2nd in 1990- in terms of human development......"

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