this post was submitted on 03 Feb 2025
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Today I Learned

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In order is Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, German, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Belgium, France, US, Japan, Australia, with Norway so far ahead they have a different font color.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Keep in mind this is per capita. Overall the U.S. provides the most foreign aid by a wide margin. Over 10 billion dollars more compared to Germany and over 30 billion more compared to Norway.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 day ago

The whole point of breaking down per capita is to account for the US having 4 times the population of Germany. It doesn't even get to GDP per capita (which is lower in Germany).

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I dont understand how anyone could criticize a per-capita statistic. It is completely logical to compare coutries by size. Or if not, we need to start talking about China being number one in almost everything in the world. Just having many people who contribute relatively little doesnt make your country more generous.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Because when it's going away, the absolute number matters. I don't think anyone disagrees here; just looking at it from different angles.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

yea, i'm all for shitting on the us, but come on. i'll bet all those countries also spend more on everything "per capita"

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 day ago (4 children)

US government spends more per capital on healthcare than all those nations with fancy universal healthcare.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

twice as much, per capita, in fact. and the u.s. fails to cover everyone or everything that should be (like it is elsewhere at half the cost).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

The US some how manages to spend more on public healthcare per person than countries with universal coverage, then spends even more that that on private healthcare on top.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

A shame all that money goes into the pockets of millionaires.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A lot of which goes towards research. Turns out developing vaccines costs money.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

Yes, it's a shame all those pharmaceutical companies end up destitute cause they make no money from them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh but you need to consider the overall spending on healthcare, not per-capita. That would be around 100-10000 times more than any other cointry. /s
Also I hope that its clear that spending money on healthcare while not providing healthcare does not make it any better.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

Also I hope that its clear that spending money on healthcare while not providing healthcare does not make it any better.

Duh.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think the point is not so much that the US should be giving more, but that Trump's constant complaining the the world owes the US and that the US is the only country so overburdened by spending on foreign aid is bullshit.

Also, I don't think per capita expenditures automatically increase for smaller populations.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

lord diaper sees any foreign spending that isn't promoting his string-puller's agenda as being a waste--because that money could be flowing to him and his comrades instead.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

That and it's more convenient scapegoating of "those dang foreigners".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Overall China spends more than the US and India about the same.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 day ago

So what you're saying is that the US can do better.

Comparing the US to countries in Europe is just silly anyway. If you want a comparison, compare it to all of Europe. Or compare Texas to Germany.