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What’s on this week

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Naperville · DuPage County, Illinois

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Free country board

Five countries side by side. Best in that fact is first. ● marks the United States.

Best wage that buys the same basket of goods

Higher is better. United States first.

  1. ●United States$86,977
  2. ○Germany$76,285
  3. ○Canada$67,901
  4. ○Japan$50,183
  5. ○Mexico$24,463

OECD average annual wages, 2025, constant prices, purchasing-power dollars.

Best change in the share of people working

A rise beats a fall. Japan first; United States fourth.

  1. ○Japan+0.5, to 61.7%
  2. ○Mexicoabout flat
  3. ○Germany−0.3
  4. ●United States−0.4, to 59.5%
  5. ○Canada−1.2

World Bank employment-to-population ratio, change from 2023 to 2024, in percentage points.

House prices rose least against income

Lower is easier (prices vs income since 2015 — not rent share of a paycheck). Germany first; United States third.

  1. ○Germany107.8
  2. ○Japan113.9
  3. ●United States128.5
  4. ○Canada136.3

OECD house-price-to-income index, 2024. 2015 equals 100. Mexico is not in this table.

Fewest hours to buy the same food

Fixed ten-item basket at local prices. Fewer hours is better. United States first. Japan missing (no corn price in that survey).

  1. ●United States1 hour
  2. ○Germany1.5 hours
  3. ○Canada2 hours
  4. ○Mexico5.5 hours

World Vision food-price survey. Hours of work to buy that ten-item basket, using income adjusted for local prices.