CIA Says Income in U.S. Is Double Pay in Soviet Union
The average American earned $18,200 last year compared with the equivalent of $8,362 for the average citizen of the Soviet Union, according to the CIA.
The figures are contained in the CIA’s recently released “Handbook of Economic Statistics--1988,” which compared actual purchasing power.
The CIA figured the total production of 243.8 million Americans in 1987 was worth $4.436 trillion, while 284 million Soviets produced $2.375 trillion.
Americans also live longer to enjoy their prosperity: 75 years to 69 for the average Soviet citizen, according to the CIA. But residents of several other countries have longer average life spans than those of Americans: 78 years in Japan, 77 in Italy, Holland and Canada, and 76 in France and West Germany.
Prices paid by Soviet consumers have been rising more slowly: 14% since 1980, compared with 38% in the United States.
The average earning in China came to only $273.
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