Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the United States, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 41 071 a year, more than the OECD average of USD 29 016 a year, and the highest figure in the OECD. But there is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest – the top 20% of the population earn about eight times as much as the bottom 20%.