For instance, in France and Germany, household shareholdings are equivalent to less than 20% of their annual disposable income, compared with 100% in America and 65% in Britain.

ECONOMIST: On the edge | The

Giving USA 2011: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2010 finds that Americans contributed about 2 percent of disposable income in 2010.

FORBES: Americans Are Generous, Despite Economy