3 ms·

Disposable income is income after taxes. What you are looking for is discretionary income, which is income after taxes and necessities.

• pjc50 8y ago
  Right, so systems with taxpayer-funded healthcare are at a big disadvantage in this comparison?
  • smnrchrds 8y ago
    Exactly! That's the point I made elsewhere in this thread [0]. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17766788 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17766788
  • vannevar 8y ago
    Not only that, but renters in the US pay a substantially higher proportion of their income on housing than in Germany. (See http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/brief_international_housing_carliner_marya.pdf http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/brief_intern...) I'd bet the story is similar for transportation.