Close Menu
    USA vs. EU: People in Europe live longer, safer lives and have more holidays
    Europe

    USA vs. EU: People in Europe live longer, safer lives and have more holidays

    Share.
    View 30 Comments

    30 Comments

    1. Addicted_2_tacos on

      Why is it always a competition about the US?
      Why not Canada? It was ranked the best place to live (also one of the happiest) and they only have 2 weeks of holidays

    2. Noderly on

      I live in the U.S. and I’ve taken two, 1 year sabbaticals in the past 8 years. If Americans behaved more like Europeans in their consumption, they’d easily have as much time off, if not more, for the same purchasing power.

      It’s a cultural problem

    7. Particular_Can_7860 on

      Europeans live longer because you don’t have US food companies with unhealthy chemicals in their food. Why is obesity so much lower in Europe. US food is just making people sick and big pharmaceutical has the answer to all those problems.

    12. JuliusCaesar121 on

      Why do you think European leaders run like dogs to their imperial city (Washington, DC) with <24 hours notice, only to be treated like this:

      https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTK_hxksh8gnxvLU1IqQpd7j26Vm1hBNpuvbVuS_rXVYg&s=10

      There is a price for everything. Europe is paying dearly for its perceived advantages, whether you realize it yet or not. 

      Keep this thread in mind next time you get really really mad because European leaders “just won’t stand up to America”. You can’t make up for decades of bad public policy with more backbone.

    13. Bleach1443 on

      I’m sure I’ll get flamed but whatever. This kind of doesn’t make sense though. Like correct me if I’m wrong but the EU itself doesn’t have paid holidays that’s each member states choice correct?

      Anyway in terms of the U.S Life expectancy shifts a lot state per state. Like Blue States tend to have much higher life expectancy rates compared to MAGA states. WA state for example has 16-18 paid maternity weeks pay.

      Europe overall is better as a whole compared to the U.S in every metric. But within the U.S. state per state the gap between the Blue states and the rest of the nation grows over time. Labor rights and laws also shift per state. Again Blue states are not as good as Europe but the difference becomes slightly less drastic.

      *Edit (Based on the replies holy moly some of you guys got really defensive that I wanted to have a nuanced conversation that the U.S being a large federation creates a situation where some regions and states have drastically different laws and policy’s so it depends what parts of the nation you’re looking at. Again never once implied America was better).

    14. Haunting-Detail2025 on

      Both of those places are too big to make generalized statements like this.

      Does anyone truly believe most people would objectively choose Bulgaria or Romania over New York or a California suburb? Does anyone truly believe most people would objectively choose rural Alabama over Paris or Milan?

      The US and EU both contain some incredibly wealthy, safe, and cosmopolitan places and also some less than desirable ones. And truthfully, a lot of it comes down to personal preferences. Some people wanna live in a big ass house in Texas and drive a big ass truck and listen to country music, some people wanna bike around Berlin on their way to an underground rave, both can be happy and fulfilled.

    15. tendie-dildo on

      Subtract red states and see the difference. My company has unlimited time off and the best health care we can buy for our employees.

    16. No-Arm-6775 on

      The hardest part for me personally about living in Europe would probably be constantly having to think about the U.S. all day long.

    18. DatingYella on

      More European condescension. Decades of this attitude led us to our current situation.

      Start acknowledging where America excels at (many many things) and maybe the next administration will favor you more

    20. heli0s_7 on

      The biggest challenge with maintaining this level of social welfare for Europe in the coming years is that it largely relied on outsourcing security to the United States, and maintaining highly competitive manufacturing to sustain a high standard of living.

      Now that the security arrangement is largely over and European nations are told that they need to do much more on their own to ensure aggressive revanchist regimes like Putin’s can be kept at bay- what does this do for European welfare programs? Especially when Europe is practically absent from the AI race, which is now U.S. vs China. Where is European competitiveness in 5-10 years when the new technology has dramatically upended the global economy? How do German automakers remain competitive with China’s EVs without AI and battery technology? Or robotics?
      How long can French citizens keep on retiring at 64 and live for another 20-25 years on pensions? Where is the money going to come from when debt to GDP is already over 115%?

      Europe needs to wake up to the reality that the world is changing rapidly and the high standard of living of yesterday and today is by no means guaranteed to continue.

    23. TheGaelicPrince on

      Syria is a good place to be a Muslim, well a certain type of Muslim, you also will be treated well if your Palestinian unlike in Germany.

      As for Venezuela they don’t have the death penalty can’t say that about a lot of places like America or Asian countries. They are also into the social equality like South Africa.

    24. Careless-Pin-2852 on

      There are 6 EU countries with lower life expenctacy. Than America. And Americans live 6 years longer than the average person.

      I say this because we have a tendency to ignore most of the human race when comparing health stats. Like usa live to 78 German lives to 81.

      Pretend Russia is not part of the continent of Europe pretend Romania at 75 is not in the EU.

      And never discuss Haiti at 61.

      I will take the down vote for being the what about the rest of the planet guy.

    26. CharlieCharliii on

      A few years ago my colleague was on a business trip to US. On the border the officer asked him if he doesn’t have intentions to stay there illegally past his visa. My mate asked why would he want to do it when living in Europe is just better,needless to say the officer didn’t expect such reply…

    29. Turbulent_Pin7635 on

      Europe in my life: Tax + housing = 75% of the salary…

      China proposal: Tax + housing = 20% of the salary…

      I’m feeling theft, boss. I am tired of being parasited by the noble caste and old ones in Europe.

    30. AskNo8702 on

      Make sense. They are capitalists with good morals.rather Just not laissez fair children who are only countrymen if it’s to send each other to some war. But not if one is sick.