Per capita energy consumption and per capita income: a comparison of the United States with other wealthy western countries

An examination of the statistical facts comparing the USA per capita income and per capita energy consumption with that of Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, West Germany, and Canada whose per capita income is approximately equal to that in the USA (averaging 97% of USA), shows that on the average their per capita energy consumption is only about half (52%) of our own. In this paper, this assertion is concluded to be false, and that it is possible for the United States as has been demonstrated, by Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, West Germany, and Denmark, to maintain its standard of wealth while major reductions occur in its energy consumption. Much tabulated data are presented to prove the conclusion.