Speaking of: Family Budgets

While housing may be expensive in the United States, food is relatively cheap compared to most countries of the world.

Figures compiled from several sources by the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate that only aout 10% of the American family budget goes for food, the lowesy percentage of any of 27 countries included and far below the 53.3% share that an Indian family spends to feed itself.

Israelis spend more than any other group for non-alcoholic beverages, while the Soviets and the Irish spend most for alcoholic beverages.

UNITED STATES 1: 12.3%

CANADA 2: 15.1

BRITAIN 3: 16.2

NETHERLANDS 4: 16.8

FRANCE 5: 19.4

BELGIUM 6: 19.6

DENMARK 7: 20.5

GERMANY* 8: 20.5

JAPAN 9: 20.6

AUSTRALIA 10: 20.6

AUSTRIA 11: 20.7

SWEDEN 12: 21.7

NORWAY 13: 22.8

ITALY 14: 23.1

FINLAND 15: 23.3

SWIZERLAND 16: 25.5

SPAIN 17: 27.7

ISRAEL 18: 29.2

SOUTH AFRICA 19: 33.5

MEXICO 20: 35.5

PORTUGAL 21: 35.8

SOVIET UNION 22: 38.0

IRELAND 23: 38.6

GREECE 24: 38.7

SOUTH KOREA 25: 40.5

PHILIPPINES 26: 54.0

INDIA 27: 55.7

* Figures from West Germany before unification with the East.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Based on data from United Nations, New York, N.Y., National Accounts Statistics annual, and various country yearbooks.