Band 6+: The bar chart below shows shares of expenditures for five major categories in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan in the year 2009.

The bar chart gives information about the proportion of money spent on five needs in four countries in 2009.

Overall, it is clear that housing and healthcare made up the largest percentage of expenditure in the US, than in Canada, the UK, and, Japan in 2009, whereas Americans had the lowest clothing share Canada had the highest clothing and transportation shares, and Japan had the highest food share among the countries compared.

Looking at the details, the amount of the expenses on different needs varied widely in four countries in 2009. It was housing that required the largest amount of investment with 25.5 % in the US, the UK and Japan followed with, 24% and 22% respectively. Meanwhile, Canada had the lowest housing share at 21%.

By contrast, Canada had the largest investment in transportation and clothing with 20% and 6%, respectively. The United States and The UK had the next-highest transportation shares at 17% and 15%, respectively. Japan had the lowest at 10%.

However, Japan consumers spent 23% of their total expenditures on food in 2009. The second-highest figures for the UK at 20% and Canada at 15%, while the US had the lowest at 14%