Factoids

OECD (2011), Society at a Glance – OECD Social Indicators

• People in the United States spend only 30 minutes per day on average cooking, the lowest in the OECD, as well as spending low amounts of time eating (1 hour 14 minutes per day, the third lowest in the OECD). But one third of Americans are obese, the highest rate in the OECD.
• (As of 2007)  At $31,000, the United States has the second highest household income after taxes and benefits in the OECD, after Luxembourg. But US income is distributed relatively unequally, with both the fourth highest rate of income inequality and relative poverty (17.3% of people poor compared to an OECD average of 11.1%) in the OECD.
• While the United States is often considered a country of immigrants and has 13.7% of its population foreign born, 11 out of 34 OECD countries have a higher foreign-born population share.
• People in the United States have a life expectancy of 77.9 years, lower than the OECD average of 79.3 years, despite having the highest public and private spending on health at 16% of GDP,  considerably higher than the OECD average of 9%.
• The United States leads the OECD in citizens volunteering time, giving money, and helping strangers. 60% of Americans undertook such activities in the previous month, compared to an OECD average of 39%.