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Comment by Nursie | Hacker News Reader

Because it is. Something I heard on BBC Radio 4 recently is that everywhere in Britain that's outside of London is now poorer than any given state in the US.

Partly this is because of the myopic policies of the coalition and then conservative governments, which didn't invest in growth and what seems like a blindingly obvious consequence of this is that there was then no growth.

> Britain’s houses are cramped, ancient and in the wrong places

Ain't that the truth. And actually you're better off getting the ancient ones because they're less cramped.

I think I agree quite a lot with this article, as someone now watching from overseas - something needs to be done as the state just seems to soak up ever more money for ever less benefit to the average person. Things are getting worse and more expensive over there. Time to change tack and at least have them get better if it's going to cost more!

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> everywhere in Britain that's outside of London is now poorer than any given state in the US.

This is true of Europe in general vs the US because economic growth in Europe has been low compared to the US since at least the financial crisis. At the time GDP of the Eurozone was comparable to the US' now the US is almost twice as big. As a consequence every European country ranks low compared to US states on GDP per capita:

"Italy is just ahead of Mississippi, the poorest of the 50 states, while France is between Idaho and Arkansas, respectively 48th and 49th. Germany doesn't save face: It lies between Oklahoma and Maine (38th and 39th)." (2023) [1]

[1] https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2023/09/04/the-gdp...

> At the time GDP of the Eurozone was comparable to the US' now the US is almost twice as big

No, You're just comparing change in the EUR/USD exchange rate here. In 2007, the euro was at a high point of 1.48, and in 2024 it's at a low of 1.02. Inflation has not been higher in Europe than in the USA over that period.

If we look at GDP at purchasing power parity from 2007 to 2023 we have this:

- European Union: 31,162 → 61,217, +96% (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?locat...)

- USA: 48,050 → 82,769, +72% (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?locat...)

Which shows a slight catching-up by the European Union over the period.

The US are leaving Europe behind in term of growth (and thus ultimately GDP and GDP per capita) in any case [1] [2].

"Between 2010 and 2023, the cumulative growth rate of GDP reached 34% in the United States, compared with just 21% in the European Union and 18% in the eurozone. This measure of GDP in volume does not depend on changes in exchange rates." [2]

[1] https://www.futuribles.com/en/sur-le-decrochage-economique-e... [2] https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/columns/economy/ec...

> And actually you're better off getting the ancient ones because they're less cramped.

Yup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Morris_Committee

Have you actually been to the poor states in the USA? And where do you think those very poor people are getting health care and other benefits from?

1. Yes, some of them. Spent a little time in New Mexico. I've travelled through the gulf states and Alabama. Particularly outside of Albequrque and Santa Fe, the general level of deprivation in NM was quite clear.

2. I'm glad that people in the UK have access to healthcare. I'd be very happy if that went to the US. That doesn't change the raw GDP figures though.

I agree it may change the experience they have of being poor if you aren't also deprived of medical care. But here's another thing - people in the UK are less satisfied than ever with the NHS as well - it appears to be floundering.

(In answer to the below "people have always been less satisfied with the NHS" - perhaps so, but this time it's serious, they haven't been this less satisfied before - https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/02/patient-sati... )

UK citizens have ALWAYS been "less satisfied than ever with the NHS". It's a service - no one likes services. But it still goes on looking after us, pretty well.

> That doesn't change the raw GDP figures though

That's assuming they're relevant, and spoiler, they aren't for the topic at hand.

How is any individual's life better because they work at a café selling $20 coffee vs £5 coffee? Because if you measure GDP, person one is drastically more productive, but in reality, it doesn't matter, really. If both are earning minimum wage, the person in the UK with the cheaper coffee has higher income (outside of a few US states). But what is their quality of life? That's highly dependent on where they live, what are their housing costs (which are quite high in the UK in most desirable locations), etc. In any case, GDP doesn't evaluate that, and it's probably the main thing people care about and what they mean by "poor".

The point is that it wasn’t that way in 2008, and in comparison the UK has stagnated and been overtaken since then.

I agree, GDP is an incomplete measure, but it does provide a comparison point.

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