The U.S. economic system can feel harsh and make it hard for many people to get ahead, driven by a relentless push to be better, cheaper, and faster. The goal in the U.S. approach is that companies can retain profits and pay relatively low taxes on them so those funds can be reinvested in the business—leading to expansion, hiring, and new paychecks that boost local spending and tax receipts. That pathway can work, but retained profits are not automatically spent on domestic hiring (they may go to buybacks, dividends, automation, or overseas investment), and whether tax incentives spur jobs depends on demand, firm incentives, and broader policy. Some European approaches—illustrated by concerns about weaker growth and higher benefit recipiency in the UK in recent years—trade lower immediate growth for higher taxes and public services; both models involve tradeoffs between growth, distribution, and resilience.
what is the percentage or per 100,000 people on public assistance USA vs UK
In the US, approximately 16% of the population receives some form of public assistance, while in the UK, around 51% of families (households) receive some form of state support, which includes benefits like the State Pension and Child Benefit.
United States
Overall Public Assistance: A 2024 analysis indicated that around one in three Americans (approximately 33%) was enrolled in at least one government assistance program in 2022.
Specific Programs (FY 2024 data):
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) served an average of 41.7 million people per month, which is about 12.3% of the total US population.
In 2013, about 34% of residents were covered by public health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
United Kingdom
Overall State Support (FY 2023-2024 data):
51% of families in the UK received a type of state support. This includes both income-related benefits and non-income-related benefits such as the State Pension and Child Benefit.
23% of all households received some form of income-related benefit.
53.3% of individuals lived in households that were "net recipients" (receiving more in benefits than they paid in taxes).
Specific Programs and Demographics (2024 data):
As of August 2024, 24 million people claimed some combination of DWP benefits.
About 6.2 million people were claiming Universal Credit (a key living cost benefit) as of November 2024.
The proportion of the working-age population receiving an incapacity benefit reached a high of 7% in 2023-24.
Per 100,000 People Comparison
To express these figures per 100,000 people:
USA: Based on the 16% estimate, approximately 16,000 per 100,000 people receive some form of public assistance.
UK: Based on the 51% of families estimate, approximately 51,000 per 100,000 families receive some form of state support.
UK GDP total 10 year growth vs US
Over the past decade, the US economy has grown at a significantly faster rate than the UK economy. As of 2023 data, the US GDP growth has substantially outpaced the UK's growth.
Total GDP Growth (Approx. 2014–2024)
United States: The US has experienced robust economic expansion. Between 2008 and 2023, the US GDP increased by approximately 87% (in current US dollar terms). As of mid-2025 data compared to pre-pandemic levels (Q4 2019), the US had the highest GDP growth among G7 economies at 13.3%.
United Kingdom: The UK's growth has been much slower. In the period from 2008 to 2023, the UK's GDP increased by only 15.4%.
Key Comparisons
Cumulative Growth: The total cumulative growth in the US has been several times higher than that of the UK over the last decade.
Post-Pandemic Recovery: The US economy recovered more quickly and has grown more since the COVID-19 pandemic than the UK economy. UK GDP in Q3 2025 was 5.3% above pre-pandemic levels (Q4 2019), while US GDP was 13.3% higher over a similar period (as of Q2 2025).
Drivers of the Gap: The divergence in economic performance is primarily attributed to differences in productivity, investment levels, and the performance of major technology firms. Currency fluctuations have also amplified the gap, with the British pound losing significant value against the US dollar since 2007.
GDP Per Capita: The gap is even more pronounced in GDP per capita terms. Since 2007, US GDP per capita has risen substantially, whereas the UK has experienced stagnation and even a decrease in wealth per capita in US dollar terms. - The reslut: Every day people turn 18 and need jobs, and many countries also welcome new immigrants who want work. When the economy is growing slowly it doesn't create enough new jobs to absorb all these new workers, so there are a lot of people competing for each opening. Basic supply and demand means that when many workers are available for every job, employers have no reason to raise pay, so wages stay low or only grow slowly.
According to the Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2024 Report, physicians across Canada reported a median wait time of 30.0 weeks between a referral from a GP and receipt of treatment in 2024, up from 27.7 weeks in 2023. This is 222% longer than the 9.3 week wait Canadian patients could expect in 1993.
Who pays what - US taxpayer breakdown by group is here
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