In America, we're known for our indulgences — home appliances, electronics, vacations, cars. So how does our spending stack up against Europeans, or folks in Asia? Read on for our analysis of the most uniquely American spendings habits out there.

作为美国人，人们会因为家用电器、电子产品、假期、汽车等特色而被熟知。那么美国人的消费和欧洲人以及亚洲人相比较呢？下面就一起来看一看我们分析出来的最独特的美国消费习惯。

1.The Lottery¹

1.彩票

Americans spend more money playing the lotto than on books, video games, and movie and sporting event tickets combined. In 2014, lottery spending in the U.S. totaled a whopping $70 billion.

美国人在玩乐透彩票上的花费要超过购买书籍、视频游戏、电影以及体育赛事门票的总和。2014年，在美国彩票上的消费总额高达700亿美元。

2.Doctors and Dentists

2.医生和牙医

The U.S. spends more public dollars on healthcare than all but two countries. There are a couple of reasons for that. First, healthcare services are notably² higher in the U.S. than in most other nations. And secondly, Americans are greater users of expensive medical treatments and technologies, such as MRI machines.

除了两个国家，美国在医疗方面的花费比其他所有国家都要多。这主要是因为两大原因。第一就是因为美国的医疗保健服务明显优于其他国家。第二，美国拥有更多的如核磁共振成像机在内的昂贵的医疗设备和技术的使用者。

3.Housing

3.住房

Americans spend more money on housing than people in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan. In a 2009 study, Americans funneled³ an average 26% of their expenditures⁵ toward shelter.

美国人在住房上的花销要高于加拿大人、英国人和日本人。一项2009年的调查显示，美国人平均26%的支出都花在了住房上。

4.Taxis, Planes, and Trains

4.出租车，飞机以及火车

The same study showed Americans also spend more on private transit⁶, other than automobiles⁷, than folks in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

同样的一项调查显示，美国人相比起加拿大人、英国人和日本人来说，在私人交通上花费更多的钱，而不是花在公共汽车上。

5.Education

5.教育

The U.S. spends more on education than any other developed nation, and most of the funding comes from the pockets of parents and private foundations. Total spending per student in the U.S. tops $15,000. Switzerland spends nearly $15,000 and Mexico pays about $3,000. Despite big spending, American students still lag behind comparable nations on international tests.

美国在教育方面的支出比其他任何发达国家都要多，而且大部分的资金是来源于父母和私人基金会。每名学生在美国的总支出约为15000美元，位居全球第一位。瑞士在该方面的花费近15000美元，而墨西哥则只需支付约3000美元。但是，尽管支出数额巨大，美国的学生还是在国际测试中落后于其他国家的学生。

Americans are also more likely than residents of any European nation to go into debt to pay for Christmas presents. One in five Americans used credit to cover holiday spending in 2014. What's more, the US leads global spending on chocolate bars, topping out at nearly $3b per year. That shakes out to an average annual chocolate expenditure⁴ of $57 per American.

此外，美国人比欧洲任何一个国家的居民更可能在圣诞节"借债送礼"。2014年，1/5的美国人靠刷信用卡才能支付假日花销。另外，美国还引领了全球巧克力棒的消费，平均每年消费近30亿美元；相当于每个美国人平均一年在巧克力棒上要消费57美元。