Bear in mind that western Europe != the EU. In 2004 and 2007 12 countries from central and eastern Europe joined the EU, with lower standards of living and (pr

Bear in mind that western Europe != the EU. In 2004 and 2007 12 countries from central and eastern Europe joined the EU, with lower standards of living and (presumably) healthcare. The western EU countries are more comparable with the USA, since they have a more similar standard of living.