This isn’t very surprising to me but it’s definitely interesting to look at. People in the US spend more of their discretionary income than anyone.
This is well worth looking at. You can definitely deduce one thing from the recreation chart. People in other countries tend to focus on experiences more than they focus on physical items. Sure, the US also spends a lot on recreation but we also spend a TON on material goods.
Anyway, go check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/09/04/business/20080907-metrics-graphic.html?th&emc=th